Thermal analysis of moving induction heating of a hollow cylinder with subsequent spray cooling: Effect of velocity, initial position of coil, and geometry

Abstract

In this paper, temperature analysis of the complete process of moving induction heat treatment is performed using numerical methods. A non-linear and transient magneto-thermal coupled problem with a moving coil which is considered as moving heat source, is investigated by an efficient finite-element procedure. A vertical hollow circular cylinder is heated by the moving coil at a given velocity along it, and the heated parts then quenched by a moving water-air spray. The effects of natural convection with air on the both inner and outer surfaces of cylinder, and also radiation of outer surface of cylinder with ambient are taken into account. For quenching of work-piece, a specific kind of atomized spray cooling which utilizes a mixture of water and air with different mass fractions is used. This procedure includes moving boundary conditions, temperature-dependent properties, and change in magnetic permeability of specified alloy at the Curie temperature. Obtained numerical results have been verified by comparison with analytical solutions using Green's function methods. Also, the effect of velocity, initial position of inductor and inner to outer radius ratio on temperature distribution are investigated. © 2011 Elsevier Inc.