ELECTRIC INDUCTION

FURNACE
 ELECTRIC INDUCTION FURNACE

• An induction furnace is an electric furnace in which

the heat is applied by induction heating.
• Induction furnace capacity ranges from less than 1
kilogram to 100 tons and are used to melt steel,
copper, aluminum and precious metal.
PRINCIPLE OF INDUCTION FURNACE
The principle of induction furnace is the Induction
heating.
INDUCTION HEATING:
•Induction heating is a form of non-contact heating for
conductive materials.
•The principle of induction heating is mainly based on
two well-known physical phenomena.
1. Electromagnetic induction
2. The Joule effect
1. ELECTROMAGNETIC INDUCTION
2) JOULE HEATING

•Joule heating, also known as ohmic heating and resistive heating, is the
process by which the passage of an electric current through a conductor
releases heat.
•The heat produced is proportional to the square of the current multiplied by
the electrical resistance of the wire.
 Induction heating is a rapid, clean, non-polluting heating.
 The induction coil is cool to the touch; the heat that builds up
in the coil is constantly cooled with circulating water.
CONSTRUCTION OF INDUCTION FURNACE
Coreless Induction Furnace
Core type or Channel Induction
Furnace
 Electrical energy needed and losses
• Electrical energy needed for heating one ton of
iron to 1500 deg C is 396 kWh.
• In furnace several losses takes place which
increases the specific energy consumption.
• The losses consists of
(i)thermal losses,
(ii)furnace coil losses,
(iii) capacitor bank losses,
(iv) convertor losses, and
(v) losses on main side transformer.

The higher the losses lower is the furnace

efficiency. Thermal losses contributes
maximum towards loss of energy.
 Raw material quality
• Besides the quality of steel produced raw
materials also affect :
(i)volume of slag produced,
(ii)refractory lining life, and
(iii)safety of both the plant and the working
personnel.
Further, raw materials along with their charging practice have
a considerable influence on the specific consumption of
electric energy and the furnace productivity.
• The major thermal losses are
(i)radiation loss from furnace top,
(ii)conduction losses from refractory lining,
(iii)heat losses in cooling water of the coil,
and
(iv)heat carried by the removed slag.
• The important parameters to be controlled
in raw materials are
(i) size,
(ii)bulk density,
(iii)chemical composition,
(iv)cleanliness, amount of contamination, and freedom
from rust, scale, sand, dirt, oils/grease, and
(v)non-metallic coatings.

Raw material charges with bulk density greater than 1

ton/cum give lower energy consumption than the charge
materials with lower bulk density of around 0.5 ton/cum.
• Amongst the various raw materials used
for making a heat, metallics take the lion’s
share both in terms of technology and
economics.
• The main raw materials for steelmaking in
induction furnace are (i) steel scrap, (ii)
iron scrap or/and pig iron, (iii) sponge iron,
(iv) carburizer, and (v) additives.
Out of these the first three are metallics.
• Dirty or contaminated scrap tends to deposit a
slag layer on the furnace refractory.
• This occurs at, or just below, the liquid level in
the crucible and restricts the quantity of power
which is drawn by the furnace.
• The effective reduction in the internal diameter
of the furnace can also make the charging more
difficult and protracted.
• This again affects the energy efficiency of the
furnace.
• Rusty scrap not only takes more time to melt but also contains
less metal per charging.
• Scrap is to be checked to ensure that pre-coated steels such as
tinned plate and zinc coated are not included, since these
materials produce excessive amounts of metallurgical fume
and slag.
• For every 1 % slag formed at 1500 deg C energy loss is 10 kWh
per ton.
• Sponge iron, Ferro-alloys and carburizers also added.
• Carburizers (Petroleum coke, anthracite coal, metallurgical coke, iron
carbide and metallurgical silicon carbide (63 % silicon and 31 % carbon).
Silicon carbide is normally charged with scrap and has the advantages of (i)
faster absorption, (ii) acts as an de-oxidizer, and (iii) improves lining life.)
Steps involved in operation of induction furnace

Fig 1.

         
 Charge preperation
• The maximum size of single piece of metal/scrap is to
be less than 0.4 times the diameter of the furnace
crucible. It avoids problem of bridging.
• Further each charge of metal/scrap is to be around 10 %
of the volume of the furnace crucible.
• Also, it is to be ensured that there is practically no sharp
edges since this can damage the refractory.
• Furnace is never to be charged beyond the coil level, i.e.
charging the furnace to its capacity.
 Melting and slag removal
• Irrespective of charging mode, sponge iron is always
charged after initial formation of molten pool (i.e. hot
heel) by melting of steel scrap.
• Melting of sponge iron is greatly influenced by factors
like carbon content of the liquid bath and degree of
metallization of sponge iron.
• Carbon content of the liquid bath reacts with unreduced
iron oxide content of the sponge iron giving evolution of
CO and CO2 gases from liquid bath i.e. carbon boil takes
place, which results into subsequent removal of
hydrogen and nitrogen gases, ultimately producing clean
steel. Carbon boil occurs at slag metal interface by the
reaction 3 FeO + 2C = 3 Fe + CO + CO2.
• The amount of carbon required (C, in kg) to reduce the
FeO content of the sponge iron is given by the equation
C = 1.67 [100 – % M–{(% Slag /100) x % Fe}].
Here, M is degree of metallization and Fe is amount of iron
in the slag.

Process control and automation

(i) process automation,
(ii)process monitoring,
(iii)information display and recording, and
(iv)interfacing with other furnaces and control systems.
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