Development of Empirical Correlation for Thermal Fatigue Life Cycle Prediction

Abstract

Furnaces are most commonly used for melting of Iron and its various alloy materials. Induction furnaces are using electric power supply so they are more beneficial as no fuel is required. It is an extremely critical to find life span or life cycle of Induction Melting Furnace Wall under thermal load change conditions. The low cycle thermal fatigue life time L is depended upon various parameters like thickness of induction furnace refractory wall t, density of refractory material , inside film co-efficient outside film co efficient , thermal expansion coefficient outside temperature , specific heat of refractory material C, elasticity constant E, ultimate strength S, thermal conductivity of refractory material k, Volume V, time period of melting cycle τ. An expression for thermal fatigue life time of induction furnace melting wall is derived by dimensional analysis using bunkingham’s π theorem. Then the empirical correlation is derived from the data available from theory as well as experimental and numerical results.