What are the advantages and disadvantages of ...

In the past 30 years, the induction melting furnace has been widely used in the cast steel industry because of its advantages, but on the other hand, it has many disadvantages. Choose it as smelting equipment, must carry out a comprehensive analysis, research, and strive to promote its advantages, avoid its disadvantages, must not join in the fun, catch up with the trend. After the equipment is selected, we should have a comprehensive understanding of its characteristics, and strive to improve the quality of casting products on the basis of energy-saving and emission reduction.

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Following, the advantages and disadvantages of induction furnace smelting cast steel are simply analyzed for reference.

1. Advantages

In casting steel smelting, compared with arc furnace smelting, using crucible induction furnace has many advantages, such as:

(1) Induction furnace is also a high power consumption equipment, but the interference to the power grid is much less than that of arc furnace;

(2) In terms of the impact on the environment, the smelting process is quiet and emits less smoke, gas, dust, and waste residue;

(3) In the utilization of resources, the furnace materials (including the addition of a variety of alloy elements) have less burning loss and higher recovery rates. The amount of slagging material used is much smaller, and electrodes are not used;

(4) In terms of metallurgical function, due to the electromagnetic stirring effect, the composition of liquid steel is relatively uniform, the temperature of liquid steel is relatively uniform, temperature control is relatively convenient, there is no problem of carbon increase caused by the electrode. There is no problem that nitrogen can be easily absorbed by liquid steel due to the absence of high-temperature action of arc and the dissociation of nitrogen at high temperatures.

(5) Less investment in equipment and a relatively small area of the site;

(6) It is easier to realize the automation of the job.

2.Disadvantages

As a result of the above advantages, since the s, crucible induction furnace in casting steel application development rapidly, but, crucible induction furnace also has its own shortcomings, restricting its development.&#;How to avoid short? It is a subject that the process technician has to face. To avoid weaknesses, one should have a full understanding of these weaknesses.

(1) Refractory lining problems

Crucible furnace lining is an important part of an induction furnace, to ensure its normal operation, the reliability of equipment operations, economic benefits, safety, and metallurgical quality of cast steel products are crucial.

Crucible type induction furnace smelting used by the energy is the magnetic flux generated by the induction coil, through the refractory lining to transfer to the furnace metal. As the thickness of the refractory lining increases, the flux leakage increases, and the output power, power factor, and electrical efficiency of the inductor decrease. In order to reduce the compensation of the balance capacitor to the reactive power and improve the electrical efficiency, it is necessary to minimize the thickness of the refractory lining. Thus, the thickness of the induction furnace refractory lining is much smaller than that of any furnace type in various furnaces used for steelmaking, but the operating conditions are much harsher than those of other furnaces.

1) The inner surface of the furnace lining is in contact with molten steel at a very high temperature, while the outer surface is connected with the water-cooled induction coil. However, the temperature gradient in the thin furnace lining is very large.

2) The liquid steel in the furnace is constantly stirred due to the electromagnetic effect, which enhances the rinsing of the liquid steel on the lining, and also enhances the erosion of the suspended oxides on the lining, and the stirring effect also increases the possibility of the liquid steel absorbing gas.

3) If the compactness of the furnace lining knot is not enough or the sintering is not good, liquid steel penetrates into the cracks of furnace lining in the furnace process. Due to the effect of induction heating, the infiltration of liquid steel will not solidify in the cracks, but continue to deepen in the cracks until it contacts the coil, causing short circuits and even causing a major safety accident.

Therefore, the performance of refractory lining, particle size grading, lining construction, lining sintering must be strict requirements, not the slightest carelessness.

3.Metallurgical functional problems

Crucible induction furnace smelting cast steel, its metallurgical function is much worse than arc furnace smelting, therefore, in the early stage can only be used for smelting metallurgical quality requirements of general types of steel, the manufacture of small cast steel. Since the s, with the continuous improvement of equipment and refractory materials, mild oxidation boiling can be carried out in the smelting process to enhance its metallurgical function, and the scope of application has gradually expanded to high-quality low alloy steel, high alloy steel, even ultra-low carbon stainless steel and various high-temperature alloys. However, the low metallurgical function of induction furnace smelting cannot be ignored.

1) Induction furnace smelting, slag is melted by the heat conducted by molten steel, the temperature of slag is lower than the temperature of molten steel, an arc furnace smelting, through a variety of metallurgical reactions between molten steel and slag, oxidation refining and diffusion deoxidation.

2) For arc furnace smelting, the melting pool is of shallow basin type, and the diameter of slag line is about 4 ~ 5 times of the depth of the melting pool; Crucible induction furnace melting, melting pool is cylindrical, the diameter of the pool is less than its depth, the ratio of the two is about 0.6 ~ 0.75. It can be seen that the interface between molten steel and slag is much smaller in induction furnace melting than in arc furnace melting, so it is impossible to make use of the metallurgical reaction between molten steel and slag in the smelting operation.

Therefore, when steel casting enterprises adopt induction furnace smelting, the requirements of charge must be very strict: all kinds of raw materials must know their chemical composition; The number of materials used in the furnace shall be determined by calculation; Scrap and return charge must be dry, free of silt and oil; The maximum size of the furnace material shall not be greater than 1/2 of the crucible cavity size.

Though induction cooking has been popular in Europe for decades, it's finally gaining traction stateside. Gas stoves, which hurt the environment, are being phased out in countries like Denmark, the Netherlands, and Australia, and some U.S. cities, like Los Angeles, New York City, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington D.C., have adopted rules to ban or restrict the use of natural gas in new homes and support all-electric construction. The move away from gas means that many homeowners are transitioning to more efficient appliances, including induction cooking.

• Rachelle Boucher, executive chef, electric kitchens expert, and founder of Kitchens to Life
  
• Mike Williams, vice president of sales and marketing at Kenyon

What Is Induction Cooking?

Induction cooking uses electromagnetic energy to create heat right inside your pots and pans. When cookware is placed on the glass cooktop surface, the magnet below the glass is triggered, resulting in friction and heat generation. Pans essentially become burners. Induction cooking is available in a single "burner" or heating zone, a cooktop with multiple heating zones, or via a range.

"Induction cooktops revolutionize your cooking experience compared to traditional electric ones by directly heating cookware through electromagnetic induction, ensuring lightning-fast and super-efficient cooking," says Mike Williams, vice president of sales and marketing at Kenyon, which manufactures a specialty line of induction cooktops.

Cookware Compatibility

Because electromagnetic waves are used to cook and produce heat, induction cooking requires magnetic cookware. "If your pan boasts a magnetic stainless steel, cast iron, enameled iron, or nickel base, it's induction cooktop compatible," says Williams. Fully clad cookware brands like All Clad and Le Creuset have suitable pans. Some appliance manufacturers, like Kenyon, also sell cookware that's custom-designed to work seamlessly with induction cooktops.

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Pros of Induction Cooking

From easy clean-up to faster cooking, there are ample reasons to consider induction cooking.

Air Quality

Put simply, induction cooking is better for the environment. "Natural gas creates unacceptable amounts of pollution with methane and particulate matter in the air," says Rachelle Boucher, executive chef, cooking appliance trainer, and founder of Kitchens to Life. "With induction, there's less need for air conditioning and ventilation."

Safety First

Induction cooking is flameless, so it's safer than gas. With no open flame, there is no fire, so you're decreasing the likelihood of burning a potholder&#;or more dangerous conflagrations.

Energy Efficiency

Induction stoves and cooktops are more powerful, but also more energy efficient than electric or gas, since heat isn't lost in the transferring process. With gas and electric ranges, a lot of energy is expended in the air around the pots and pans. With induction, only the cookware heats.

Quick and Consistent

Boucher prefers cooking with induction because it's faster and more precise. Not only does it heat two to three times more quickly than gas, with induction, you don't have to wait for the heating element to transfer to the pan because the pan heats up directly. "You can [also] choose a specific temperature and it's more consistent," she says. When you turn the burner off, the heat transfer stops immediately, which means there's less of a chance of foods boiling over or overcooking.

Easier to Clean

Clean-up is a cinch, with no pesky dials, burners, or knobs to scrub around, and the smooth glass top stays cool, so drips and splatters won't stick and burn. Because the unused surface doesn't heat up, the cooktop effectively becomes additional counter space for cooking utensils, cookbooks, and other items you wouldn't place on a hot stove.

Financial Perks

Another incentive to make the switch is government rebates. The Inflation Reduction Act, which went into effect in , provides funding for rebates to households that install new electric appliances, including modern induction stoves.

Cons of Induction Cooking

There may be a few hurdles, including a learning curve and the price tag.

Purchase Price

Though it can cost a pretty penny, your appliance may be eligible for a rebate (see above!), and there are other compensations. "While it's true that some may consider the initial cost of induction cooktops a drawback, once you experience their benefits, you might find it hard to go back to other types," says Williams.

Appliance aside, you may need to invest on new pots and pans if your non-magnetic copper, glass, aluminum, and ceramic cookware is not induction-compatible. And if your favorite wok has a round bottom, you can't just add a ring to your cooktop&#;you'll need either a flat-bottom wok or a special induction wok.

Learning Curve

While induction's speed is an advantage, it requires a rhythm and pace of cooking that differs from gas or electric, and may take time to adjust to. A home cook may initially be confused by the appliance's disappearing touchscreens&#;or the fact that when pans are removed from the cooktop, it turns off. This is a disadvantage initially, but some appliance companies provide loaners and the opportunity to "try before you buy" in a showroom kitchen.

Scratches on Surface

Because induction cooktops are glass, there is a possibility they can scratch or break. Look for silicone mats to safeguard the glass top and prevent pans from slipping.

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