International Journal of Recent Technology and Engineering (IJRTE)

ISSN: 2277-3878, Volume-2 Issue-4, September 2013

Simulation of Induction Furnace and Comparison

with Actual Induction Furnace
Viralkumar Solanki, Sanjay R Joshi, Jiten Chavda, Kashyap Mokariya

Abstract— In this paper, at first, a matlab simulation of Often these converters that are used in the induction heating
induction furnace model optimized resonant capacitor is furnaces have a three phase rectifier and a single phase
designed for a practical induction furnace with parallel resonant inverter. In these converters, load is coil of induction
inverter. Then rectifier and inverter snubber circuit are designed heating furnace that can be controlled in the form of parallel
and voltage, current, THD and power were measured. This
and series with capacitor bank. If changing current of
measured value is compared with actual working industry
furnace data and conclusion is made that when furnace is not switches of inverter are varied by changing current load
operate at full load that time its power factor is very low and naturally.
THD is high.
LC
XC LI
Keywords— Induction furnace, Harmonics, THD, Simulation. 3-PHASE UNCONTROLLED SINGLE PHASE
SOURSE RECTIFIRE INVERTER
RC RI
I. INTRODUCTION
Induction heating is widely used in metal industry for
melting or heating thin slab in continuous casting plant Figure 1.Block diagram of an induction heating furnace.
because of good heating efficiency, high production rate and These inverters usually call load commutation inverter. In
clean working environments. A typical parallel resonant this paper, block diagram of a parallel resonant 70Kw
inverter circuits for induction heater which we are going to induction heating furnace is shown in Figure 1.
discuss about, have a phase controlled rectifier that provides This induction heating furnace has problem such as low
a constant DC current source. The H-bridge inverter consists power factor, insufficient and non-adapted power with load,
of four Thyristor and a parallel resonant circuit comprises low efficiency and high system losses especially capacitor
capacitor bank and heating coil. Thyristors are naturally loss that are caused frequent damage to the parallel
commutated by AC current flowing through the resonant capacitor damage. For these reasons, we optimized this
circuit. Therefore, this type of inverter is usually called a induction heating furnace, Power supply of this induction
load commutated inverter. The rated output power and heating furnace is a three-phase source with voltage
frequency of mentioned induction furnace are 70 kw and amplitude 415V and frequency of 50Hz. Source voltages,
2KHz, respectively. The rated input voltage and frequency after rectifying in an uncontrolled rectifier, are converted
are 415 V/ac and 50 Hz. One of the problems is the into DC voltage and then apply into a single phase inverter.
insuffiency in the output power, and the other problem is the Output voltage amplitude and frequency are 600V and
frequent damage of the capacitor bank. Insufficiency in 2000Hz, respectively.
output power was caused by a poor power factor of the
inverter. The capacitance of the capacitor bank affects the III. DESIGN VALUES OBTAINED FROM ACTUAL
overall operating factor of induction heater such as resonant WORKING MODEL
frequency, Q-factor, efficiency and power factor.
In this paper power, voltage, current, harmonic and THD A. Furnace Specification
measured of the actual arc furnace is compared with TABLE 1.1 DESIGN VALUES FOR PROPOSED MATLAB
proposed matlab simulation. MODEL

Table 1.1 shows Input design values for the proposed

II. IINTRODUCING A PARALLEL RESONANT Matlab model.
CIRCUIT
Power 75 kw
In this section, internal circuits of converter that are used
Voltage 415 V
for feeding power of this actual induction heating furnace
are introduced. A converter has a rectifier and an inverter. A Furnace consumed
converter is highly used in industries. current 120 Amp
Admittance 7µ Mho
Manuscript received on September, 2013. Operating Frequency 2000 Hz
Viralkumar J Solanki Student of the Master Of engineering in the
stream of Electrical Engineering from college of Shantilal Shah Iron Melting capacity 120 Kg
Engineering, Bhavnagar. Gujarat Technological University.
Dr S.R Joshi has passed his Bachelors in 1992 from Regional Maximum temperature 1650 0C
Engineering College Surat. He has passed his Masters of Engineering from Inverter IGBT
L.D college of Engineering Ahmedabad
Rectifier Thyrister Bridge
Prof J.K Chavda received the Bachelor’s degree in
electricalengineering from Government Engineering college, Modasa,
HNGU University, India,
Prof K.L Mokariya received the Bachelor’s degree in electrical
engineering from S.V.NIT Surat in 2003 and master’s degree in power
system engineering from Birla Vishvakarma Mahavidhyalay, V.V.Nagar,
India.

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 Simulation of Induction Furnace and Comparison with Actual Induction Furnace

B. Induction Heating Coil

This schematic consists of the eleven randomize
polynomial time algorithms as follows:
For optimization first electrical equivalent circuit of coil
induction heating furnace is computed. Coil induction
heating furnace is modulated with a series connection of a
resistor and an inductor. For the simulation of induction
furnace, electrical RC and RL load taken from Matlab
library. Power loss in the capacitor bank is the resistor of
capacitor model. Electrical Equivalent circuit for induction
heating furnace coil connected in parallel with load is shown
in Figure 2.

X LI
C
Zt
RC RI

Figure 2.Electrical Equivalent circuit for induction

heating furnace coil.

IV. SUGGESTED CONTROL METHOD

Output power obtained from the coil of this induction
heating furnace is not constant. When the load impedance is
equal to source impedance it creates problem of resonance
.So, for improving feeding system of furnace We suggest
uncontrolled three phase rectifier convert into controlled
three-phase rectifier and design a passive controller for
system that by changing the rectifier firing angle, fixed
output power of this induction heating furnace on the desired
power. Also, suggest single phase switches of inverter
convert into IGBT switches and for trigger of these switches,
unipolar PWM method is used. For analyzing results of these
suggestions electrical feeding system circuit part by part
simulated and these simulated details are connected to each
other. Consequently, entire circuit is simulated. By usage of
this simulated circuit, a passive controller is designed for
system. Entire system simulated with desired controller is
shown in the Figure.3

V. SYSTEM SIMULATION
A. Source And Controller
Induction heating furnace source is simulated by three-
phase sources with sequence a, b, c. Every source has Figure 3. Entire simulated circuit
maximum of amplitude of 415V and frequency of 50Hz that
has 1200 phase different between phases. A pure inductor 80 B. Simulation of Inverter
µH is connected to each phase. These inductors show source For connecting rectifier and inverter to each other, an
reactance and need reactance to protect the rectifier inductor of 20mH is used. Also, for converting DC to ac,
Thyristor from high di/dt. Also, this reactance is element of according to fig 3, a two leg inverter is used. Every inverter
snubber’s circuit. Simulated rectifier has three-leg and six leg has two IGBT switches which with an anti parallel diode
Thyristors, we are sampling from T1 to T6. For firing of are connected. According to fig 4 firing of these switches
these thyristor we are sampling from the line voltage. unipolar PWM method are used. For preparing suitable
pulses and applying those into the inverter IGBT switches,
at first, a triangular wave form with frequency of 1500 Hz
that have 180 phase difference to each other.

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106 & Sciences Publication
 International Journal of Recent Technology and Engineering (IJRTE)
ISSN: 2277-3878, Volume-2 Issue-4, September 2013
VI. CASE STUDY
In The factors under consideration are key management,
data redundancy, integrity and memory power & CPU
capability in user's description for performance.
Harmonic Analysis was conducted for below rated
Induction Furnace.
Measuring Points:
 12 MT Furnace, 12 Pulse
 06 MT Furnace, 12 Pulse
Conditions:
 On VCB of 12 MT Furnace- Individual
(Different Power Level)
 On VCB of 06 MT Furnace- Individual
(Different Power Level)
 On VCB of 12 MT Furnace- 06 MT Furnace on
Full Power (Different Power Level of 12 MT Figure 4 shows Harmonic spectrum of 12MT Furnace with
Furnace) Minimum Power plot (Initially started lower loaded furnace)
 On VCB of 06 MT Furnace- 12 MT Furnace on Location-2: 6 MT furnace
Full Power (Different Power Level of 06 MT Condition: Single furnace & auxiliaries only. Half power
Furnace) pot.
KW: 1032, kVA: 1461, kVAr: 1032, P.F.: 0.7, Amp: 26.33,
Location-1: 12 MT furnace 25.99, 25.69
Condition: Single furnace & auxiliaries only. Minimum
Power Pot.
KW: 76, kVA: 269, kVAr: 257.9, P.F.: 0.28, Amp: 5.02,
4.72, 4.73.

Table 1.3 Readings of 6 MT Furnace with Minimum Power

plot.
Above Table 1.3 shows Readings of 6 MT Furnace with
Minimum Power plot (Initially started lower loaded furnace)
Voltage harmonics: 23rd: 0.8, 25th: 0.7, 35th: 1, 37th: 0.7.
Table 1.2 Readings of 12MT Furnace with Minimum
Power plot.

Above Table 1.2 shows Readings of 12MT Furnace with

Minimum Power plot (Initially started lower loaded furnace)

Figure 4 Harmonic Spectrum6 MT Furnace with Minimum

Power plot (Initially started
lower loaded furnace)

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107 & Sciences Publication
 Simulation of Induction Furnace and Comparison with Actual Induction Furnace

Location-3: 6 MT furnace Table 1.5 shows values for matlab simulation for R-L Load,
Condition: Single furnace & auxiliaries only. Full power R-C Load and Line filter Inductor.
pot.
B. Analysis
KW: 2227, kVA: 2282, kVAr: 487, P.F.: 0.97, Amp: 41.35,
40.56, 40.41  Practically induction furnace output current is quasi
square wave (sinusoidal) type, but at here simulation
output current is sinusoidal because of adding simple
passive filter.
 Initially, starting of induction furnace power factor is
low, but when it operates at full load it is between 0.8 to
0.9, so improvement of Power factor add APFC or
capacitor bank, which is shown in upper cash location 1,
location 2 and location 3.
 Matlab simulation, Current harmonics analysis THD is
less as compare to the harmonics data of practical data.
C. Waveforms

Table 1.4 Readings of 6MT Furnace with Full Power plot.

Voltage Harmonics- 49th: 1.1
Current Harmonics -15th: 0.9

VII. SIMULATION AND ANALYSIS RESULT

A. Simulation
The simulation of Induction furnace power controlling
mainly two type, one is power control by rectifier firing
angle and second one is power control by inverter, we are
increasing rectifier firing angle smoothly and accomplished
the simulation by observing output inverter voltage and
current, system stability can be studies numerically, rectifier
firing angle increases until system becomes unstable at the
rectifier firing angle of approximately 120 0.
Also some of assumption is taken that practically
furnace have cooling system is not considers, this simulation
is consider as small segment melting industry so that
haven’t affordable filtering equipment, but removal of
harmonics they have to use only capacitor bank or APFC
only. This simulation run in matlab 7.8.0(R2009a) and all
the data properties is shown below table and getting output
result is shown in fig. Simulation furnace main
specifications write down as upper shown and remaining is
below table.

Figure 6 Simulation Circuit Wave Forms

Figure 6 shows waveforms of Input voltage, load current at
source side, Active and Reactive power for proposed matlab
Model.

Matlab Total harmonic distortion of various phases is shown

in Table below.
S.R Voltage Harmonic THD%
No
1 R-phase 0.10%
2 Y-phase 0.12%
3 B-phase 0.11%
Table 1.6 Readings obtained of voltage harmonic
distortion in matlab for each phases of proposed circuit.

Table 1.5 data table load and filter for proposed matlab
model

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Retrieval Number: D0803092413 /2013©BEIESP Blue Eyes Intelligence Engineering
108 & Sciences Publication
 International Journal of Recent Technology and Engineering (IJRTE)
ISSN: 2277-3878, Volume-2 Issue-4, September 2013
AUTHORS PROFILE
Viralkumar J Solanki Student of the Master Of engineering in the
stream of Electrical Engineering from college of Shantilal Shah
Engineering, Bhavnagar. Gujarat Technological University

Dr Sanjay R Joshi. Dr S.R Joshi has passed his Bachelors in 1992

from Regional Engineering College Surat. He has passed his Masters of
Engineering from L.D college of Engineering Ahmedabad in 2000. He has
done his doctorate from I.I.T Bombay. He has 19 years of teaching
Experience. His area of interest is power system dynamics, H.V.D.C and
Facts. At present he is working as HEAD & Associate Professor- Electrical
Engineering Dept. Govt. Engineering College, S u r a t since 2008.

Prof J.K Chavda, received the Bachelor’s degree in

Figure 7: voltage harmonic of R-phase electricalengineering from Government Engineering college, Modasa,
Figure 7 shows voltage harmonic of R-phase obtained with HNGU University, India, in 2004, and the
Master’s degrees in Power System Engineering from the Birla
matlab. Readings of all the 3-phases is shown in table. Vishvakarma Mahavidhyalay, V.V.Nagar, India, in 2010.He is engaged in
research on Power Quality, Harmonics effects on Power System. At
VIII. CONCLUSION Present he is working as Assistant Professor in ,Department of Electrical
engineering, Shantilal Shah Engineering College, Bhavnagar,
In this paper, Harmonics and power factor are closely
related. In fact, they are so tightly coupled that one can Prof K.L Mokariya, received the Bachelor’s degree in electrical
place limitations on the current harmonics produced by engineering from S.V.NIT Surat in 2003 and master’s degree in power
system engineering from Birla Vishvakarma Mahavidhyalay, V.V.Nagar,
nonlinear loads by using the widely accepted concept of India, in 2010.He has total 10 years of teaching Expereince. His Present
power factor, providing that true power factor is used rather areas of research are Harmonics effects on Power System, Variable
than displacement power factor. Frequency Drives. At present he is working as Assistant Professor in,
We have actual practical harmonic analysis data and Department of Electrical engineering, Government Engineering College
Valsad since April 2010. E-mail id: - [email protected].
compare with our Matlab simulation data and current and
voltage Harmonics analysis comparison.
 When the full load is connected to the system and
APFC connected then its power factor is near to the
unity, if not then power factor is reduce.
 Matlab simulation, Current and voltage harmonics
analysis THD is less as compare to the harmonics
data of actual practical data.

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