Enhanced performance of induction cookers by the use of polymer composites

Abstract

The use of a cooling fan in an induction cooker raises a reliability issue due to the attraction of dust causing a malfunction of the cooling fan and also increases the noise level and power consumption of the device. The purpose of this study is to attempt to solve these problems by molding the Cu coil of an induction cooker with polymer composites that have a low electrical conductivity but a high thermal conductivity. Among the several polymer composites tested in this study, an aluminum nitride-based composite showed the best performance. The results show that the new induction cooker with the molded composite can operate for an extended period of time without the use of a cooling fan. A further advantage of this new type of induction cooker is that the temperature of the substance in the cooking pot increases more rapidly, indicating an increased efficiency of the induction cooker.