Optimization of Wall Thickness and Thermal Conductivity for Minimum Heat Losses for Induction Furnace by FEA

Furnace is a term used to identify a closed space where heat is applied to a body in order to raise its temperature. An induction furnace is an electrically run furnace used for melting & heating (heat treatment) metals. Induction heating is widely used in today’s industry, in operations such as metal hardening, preheating for forging operations. The requirements of minimum electric power losses and environment protection have become extremely important, that is the minimization of the heat losses. Mostly there are heat losses by conduction, convection and radiation, and hence the improvement in best refractory material and optimization in thermal conductivity and wall thickness of refractory material is needed. Alumina ramming mass is used as refractory material to prevent losses. Then also proper optimization is needed in thermal conductivity and furnace wall thickness. Change in Thermal conductivity and furnace wall thickness plays an important role in effectiveness of the furnace. Optimum thermal conductivity and wall thickness reducing heat loss in furnace with economical cost is needed. Aim for this work is to do optimization of thermal conductivity and wall thickness of Induction furnace wall material for minimum heat losses during melting metal. Objective of this research is to study the influence of thermal conductivity and wall thickness on wall heat losses and finding the optimum thermal conductivity and wall thickness of wall material of induction furnace. For completing the objective of this study, Calculations have been done for theoretical heat loss by using existing furnace data which are later compared with FEA result for the validation of ANSYS Software. For minimum heat losses optimum changes in thermal conductivity and thickness of induction furnace wall material is done with ANSYS software and find the optimum thermal conductivity and wall thickness of furnace wall.