Numerical modelling of an induction heating problem

Abstract

Induction heating is a process of heat generation which uses metal conductors and the Joule effect. The induction heating process has many applications in industry, such as metal melting, preheating for forging operations, hardening, and welding. A model of induction heating is given by a coupled system of partial differential equations relating temperature field and magnetic potential. Precisely, a coupled system of Maxwell and heat equations is given in the workpiece, while in the exterior domain the Laplace equation for the magnetic potential is formulated. Finally, nonlinear boundary condition for the heat equation, transmission conditions and asymptotic condition for the magnetic potential are given. Solution of such coupled multifield problems requires advanced coupled numerical methods. Therefore, in this paper we present a coupled numerical approach connecting Finite Difference Method and discrete potential theory. The use of discrete potential theory is motivated by the fact that asymptotic conditions are satisfied exactly on the discrete level. Thus, a general scheme for the coupled numerical method is presented in this paper.