Induction Heating Adaptation of a Different-Sized Load With Matching Secondary Inductor to Achieve Uniform Heating and Enhance Vertical Displacement

This article presents an inductively coupled heating application, that is, a combination of wireless power transfer and induction heating. The addition of a secondary inductor with a resonant capacitor directly beneath and attached to the ferromagnetic load allows us to improve induction heating adaptation of loads of different sizes to the primary inductor, enhancing power distribution and extending load distance while avoiding increased power losses and stress on electronic components. The extended distance can be used to implement the seamless induction concept, where the typical ceramic glass is substituted by the kitchen surface itself. Finite-element analysis simulations are carried out to determine the suitability of each possible design, and a scoring system is applied to determine the optimal solution, bearing in mind the delivered power, power factor, power distribution, and efficiency. A near optimal design is chosen to develop as a prototype. The prototype is tested under working conditions up to 3680 W at several distances, validating the simulations' impedance parameters and verifying power distribution with a water boiling test and a dry test with a thermographic camera.