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Industrial induction heating (IH) is a key manufacturing process due to its benefits in terms of efficiency, accurate output power control, and high performance. These features have made possible the extension of this technology to a wide range of industries from automotive to aeronautic, domestic, or renewable energies. One of the main challenges still present is the design of a high-performance and cost-effective process for those induction targets with complex geometries exposed to the magnetic field, being the most representative example gears present in most mechanical systems. Usually, in order to optimize the heating process, multifrequency IH systems are used, being often expensive and/or difficult to tune and control. The aim of this paper is, consequently, to propose a family of power converters able to supply the inductor system with two simultaneous frequencies in order to improve the heating process of the induction target. The proposed converter takes advantage of a multiresonant network allowing full control of the output power delivered at each frequency and, at the same time, a compact and cost-effective implementation. The proposed converter is analyzed, designed, and implemented, and experimental verification of its operation is provided in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flexible cooking surfaces represent the most innovative and high-performance induction heating appliances nowadays. This paper presents a multiple-output resonant inverter for multicoil systems featuring high efficiency and flexible output power control for modern induction heating appliances. By adopting a matrix structure, the number of controlled devices can be significantly reduced while high control versatility is ensured. The proposed converter is first analyzed and, in order to prove the feasibility of the proposal, a multiple-output prototype is designed and implemented. The experimental results prove the correct converter operation and output power control with multiple induction heating loads, validating the proposed approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Induction heating has become the most advance heating process due to benefits, such as efficiency, performance, cleanness, and safety. In this process, the electromagnetic coupling between the induction coil and the induction target is a key, determining the heating performance as well as the resonant power converter operation. This letter proposes an accurate and cost-effective resonant tank identification method applied to induction heating systems. It is based on monitoring the resonant capacitor voltage in order to calculate the resonant tank quality factor. The proposed methodology has been tested using a versatile power electronics test bench applied to domestic induction heating, proving the feasibility of this proposal. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Induction heating (IH) is a key technology in modern household appliances and industries. Modern design trends require the design of high efficiency and multiple output power converters. This paper proposes a dual-output boost resonant full-bridge topology to provide a multiple-output converter with improved performance while keeping a cost-effective performance. The proposed converter is detailed and analyzed, and several modulation strategies are proposed to obtain proper output power control. Finally, an experimental prototype is built, verifying the proper operation and performance of the proposed topology. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Resonant power conversion is a key enabling technology for many high-performance and high-efficiency systems. Induction heating is an example of such systems, which outperforms conventional heating technologies, leading to a wide spectrum of industrial, domestic, and medical applications. In order to ensure the proper operation of the resonant converter, accurate converter operation monitoring techniques are required. This paper proposes an effective monitoring technique based on the measurement of the resonant capacitor voltage. The proposed monitoring system provides essential information regarding the output power, soft-switching conditions, and input voltage, while featuring a cost-effective implementation. The proposed technique is validated through an FPGA-controlled resonant power converter applied to induction heating, proving the feasibility of this proposal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Induction heating systems are the technology of choice in many industrial, domestic, and medical applications due to its high performance. The core component of such systems is the power supply, which is usually composed of a rectifier stage and a resonant inverter. In order to simplify and further optimize the performance of the power supply, a class-E direct ac–ac converter featuring multicycle modulations is proposed in this paper. The proposed converter is composed of two switching devices that enable the direct ac–ac conversion. Single- and multicycle operation modes have been analytically described to prove the benefits, in terms of peak voltage reduction and output power control capabilities. A prototype featuring SiC junction-gate field-effect transistor devices, which perfectly fit these applications, has been designed and built to prove the feasibility of the proposed converter. The experimental results match the analytical results and validate the benefits of this converter. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Efficiency is a key design parameter when designing the power converters for domestic induction heating applications, since it determines not only the environmental impact of the power converter but also its final performance and reliability. In this paper, the design of high-efficiency converters for induction heating applications is discussed, focusing on the advantages of using wide bandgap devices. As a conclusion, a multiple-output boost resonant ac-ac converter is proposed, significantly improving current state-of-the-art efficiency and achieving a reduced component-count solution for multiple-load systems. The proposed converter has been tested through a dual-output boost resonant inverter for domestic induction heating applications. The design procedure is detailed, including the design of an optimized gate drive circuit for this application. Experimental results show significant improvements in efficiency in the whole operating range, and an accurate output power control, proving the benefits and feasibility of the proposed SiC-based converter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Domestic induction appliances require power converters that feature high efficiency and accurate power control in a wide range of operating conditions. To achieve this modulation techniques play a key role to optimize the power converter operation. In this paper, a series resonant inverter featuring reverse-blocking insulated gate bipolar transistors and an optimized modulation technique are proposed. An analytical study of the converter operation is performed, and the main simulation results are shown. The proposed topology reduces both conduction and switching losses, increasing significantly the power converter efficiency. Moreover, the proposed modulation technique achieves linear output power control, improving the final appliance performance. The results derived from this analysis are tested by means of an experimental prototype, verifying the feasibility of the proposed converter and modulation technique. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper presents the analysis and design of a new ac-ac resonant converter applied to domestic induction heating. The proposed topology, based on the half-bridge series resonant inverter, uses only two diodes to rectify the mains voltage. The proposed converter can operate with zero-voltage switching during both switch-on and switch-off transitions. Moreover, this topology doubles the output voltage, and therefore, the current in the load is reduced for the same output power. As a consequence, the converter efficiency is significantly improved. The analytical and simulation results have been verified by means of a 3600-W induction heating prototype. An efficiency study has been carried out, obtaining values higher than 96%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]