Do-it-yourself induction installation. How to make an induction heater with your own hands. There are certain conditions for the organization of work

The idea of ​​heating a metal with Foucault eddy currents excited by the electromagnetic field of a coil is by no means new. It has been successfully used for a long time in industrial melting furnaces, blacksmith workshops, household heating appliances - stoves and electric boilers. The latter are quite expensive, so home craftsmen do not stop trying to make an induction water heater with their own hands. Our task is to consider workable options for home-made devices and figure out whether they can be used for home heating.

About the principle of inductive heating

First, let's explain how electric induction heaters function. Alternating current, passing through the turns of the coil, forms an electromagnetic field around it. If a magnetic metal core is placed inside the winding, then it will be heated by eddy currents arising under the influence of the field. That's the whole principle.

Important condition. In order for the metal core to heat up, the coil must be powered by an alternating current that changes the sign and vector of the field at a high frequency. When applied to the DC winding, you get an ordinary electromagnet.

The heating element itself is called the inductor and is the main part of the installation. IN heating boilers it is a steel pipe with a coolant flowing inside, and in cookers it is a flat coil as close as possible to the hob, as shown in the photo below.


An inductor heats an iron pipe that transfers heat to the flowing water.

The second part of the induction heater is a circuit that increases the frequency of the current. The fact is that a voltage with an industrial frequency of 50 Hz is of little use for the operation of such devices. If you connect the inductor to the network directly, then it will begin to hum strongly and slightly warm up the core, and together with the windings. In order to effectively convert electricity into heat and completely transfer it to the metal, the frequency must be increased to at least 10 kHz, which is what the electrical circuit does.

What are the real advantages of induction boilers over heating elements and electrode boilers:

  1. A part that heats water is a simple piece of pipe that does not participate in electrochemical processes (as in electrode heat generators). Therefore, the service life of the inductor is limited only by the performance of the coil and can reach 10-20 years.
  2. For the same reason, the element is equally “friends” with all types of coolants - water, antifreeze and even engine oil, there is no difference.
  3. The insides of the inductor are not covered with scale during operation.

Here, the core is the dishes made of magnetic metal.

Options for homemade devices

There are a sufficient number of various designs created for various purposes. Take an induction small-sized heater made from a 250-500 W computer power supply. The model shown in the photo will be useful to the master in the garage or car service for melting aluminum, copper and brass rods.

But the design is not suitable for space heating due to low power. There are two real options on the Internet, whose tests and work are filmed on video:

  • water heater from polypropylene pipe powered by a welding inverter or an induction cooktop;
  • steel boiler with heating from the same hob.

Reference. There are others who are completely homemade designs where craftsmen assemble frequency converters from scratch. But this requires knowledge and skills in the field of radio engineering, so we will not consider them, but simply give an example of such a scheme.

Now let's take a closer look at how do-it-yourself induction heaters are made, and most importantly, how they then function.

We make a heating element from a pipe

If you have been closely searching for information on this topic, then you have probably come across this design, since the master posted its assembly on the popular YouTube video resource. After that, many sites posted text versions of the manufacture of this inductor in the form step by step instructions. Briefly, the heater is done like this:


An important nuance. The length and cross section of the wire for winding the coil should be determined by the standard inductor of the stove so that it matches the power of the field-effect transistors in the electrical circuit. If you take more wire, then the heating power will drop, less - the transistors will overheat and fail. How it looks visually, look at the video:

As you might guess, the role of the heating element here is played by metal brushes located in the alternating magnetic field of the coil. If you run the hob to the maximum, while passing through an impromptu boiler running water, then it will be possible to heat it by 15-20 ° C, which was shown by the tests of the unit.

Since the power of most induction cookers lies in the range of 2-2.5 kW, then with the help of a heat generator it is possible to heat rooms with a total area of ​​\u200b\u200bno more than 25 m². There is a way to increase the heat by connecting the inductor to the welding machine, but there are some difficulties here:

  1. The inverter produces a direct current, but an alternating one is needed. To connect the induction heater, the device will have to be disassembled and found on the diagram of the point where the voltage has not yet been rectified.
  2. It is necessary to take a wire of a larger cross section and select the number of turns by calculation. As an option, copper wire Ø1.5 mm in enamel insulation.
  3. It will be necessary to organize the cooling of the element.

The author demonstrates the performance check of an inductive water heater in his video below. Tests have shown that the unit needs to be improved, but the final result, unfortunately, is unknown. It looks like the craftsman left the project unfinished.

How to assemble an induction boiler

In this case, a cheap Chinese stove does not need to be disassembled. The bottom line is to weld a boiler tank according to its size, guided by step-by-step instructions:

  1. Take the steel profile pipe 20 x 40 mm with a wall thickness of 2 mm and cut blanks from it to the width of the panel.
  2. Weld the tubes together along the length, joining the smaller sides.
  3. From above and below, hermetically weld iron covers to the ends. Make holes in them and put threaded pipes.
  4. Attach 2 corners by welding to one of the sides so that they form a shelf for the induction stove.
  5. Paint the unit with heat-resistant spray enamel. The assembly process is shown in more detail in the video.

The final assembly and start-up consists in mounting the boiler on the wall and inserting it into the heating system. hob is inserted into the socket from the corners on the rear wall of the tank and is connected to the mains. It remains to turn on the heating of the inductor.

Here you have the same problem that you encountered with the previous model. Undoubtedly, induction heating will work, but its power of 2.5 kW is enough to heat a couple. small rooms when it's cold outside. In autumn and spring, when the temperature has not dropped below zero, a home-made boiler will be able to heat an area of ​​​​35-40 m². How to properly connect it to the system, see the next video:

We deliberately presented options for induction water heaters of a simple design, so that everyone could make such a unit on their own. But the question remains whether it is necessary to do this business and spend your own time. There are a number of objective considerations in this regard:

  1. Users who are not versed in electrical and radio engineering are unlikely to be able to achieve an increase in heating power above 2.5 kW. To do this, you will have to assemble a frequency converter circuit.
  2. The efficiency of the inductor is no higher than that of other electric boilers. But it is much easier to assemble a heater with heating elements.
  3. If you do not have an induction panel lying around at home, then you will need to buy it for about 80 USD. e. This is how much cheap Chinese products cost in online stores. For the same money, ready-made electrode boilers power up to 10 kW.
  4. Electric stoves are equipped with safety automatics that turn off the household appliance after 1 or 2 hours of operation. This makes it inconvenient to use.
  5. If, for various reasons, the coolant flows out of a home-made heat generator, then the heating will not stop. It is fraught with fire.

Of course, you can do without expensive purchases, thoroughly understand the design and make an induction heater from scratch. But doing everything for free will not work, because you will need to purchase components for the circuit. Note that the bonuses from such a heating unit are small, so it is not advisable to seriously take on its manufacture in order to heat a private house.

Melting metal by induction is widely used in various industries: metallurgy, engineering, jewelry. A simple induction type furnace for melting metal at home can be assembled with your own hands.

Heating and melting of metals in induction furnaces occur due to internal heating and change crystal lattice metal when high-frequency eddy currents pass through them. This process is based on the phenomenon of resonance, in which eddy currents have a maximum value.

To cause the flow of eddy currents through the melted metal, it is placed in the zone of action of the electromagnetic field of the inductor - the coil. It can be in the form of a spiral, figure eight or trefoil. The shape of the inductor depends on the size and shape of the heated workpiece.

The inductor coil is connected to an alternating current source. In industrial melting furnaces, industrial frequency currents of 50 Hz are used; for melting small volumes of metals in jewelry, high-frequency generators are used, as they are more efficient.

Kinds

Eddy currents are closed along a circuit limited by the magnetic field of the inductor. Therefore, heating of conductive elements is possible both inside the coil and from its outer side.

    Therefore, induction furnaces are of two types:
  • channel, in which the channels located around the inductor are the container for melting metals, and the core is located inside it;
  • crucible, they use a special container - a crucible made of heat-resistant material, usually removable.

channel furnace too overall and designed for industrial volumes of metal melting. It is used in the smelting of cast iron, aluminum and other non-ferrous metals.
crucible furnace quite compact, it is used by jewelers, radio amateurs, such an oven can be assembled with your own hands and used at home.

Device

    A homemade furnace for melting metals has quite simple design and consists of three main blocks placed in a common body:
  • high frequency alternator;
  • inductor - do-it-yourself spiral winding of copper wire or tube;
  • crucible.

The crucible is placed in an inductor, the ends of the winding are connected to a current source. When current flows through the winding, an electromagnetic field with a variable vector arises around it. In a magnetic field, eddy currents arise, directed perpendicular to its vector and passing through a closed loop inside the winding. They pass through the metal placed in the crucible, while heating it to the melting point.

Advantages induction furnace:

  • fast and uniform heating of the metal immediately after switching on the installation;
  • directivity of heating - only the metal is heated, and not the entire installation;
  • high melting rate and homogeneity of the melt;
  • there is no evaporation of the alloying components of the metal;
  • installation is environmentally friendly and safe.

A welding inverter can be used as a generator of an induction furnace for melting metal. You can also assemble the generator according to the diagrams below with your own hands.

Furnace for melting metal on a welding inverter

This design is simple and safe as all inverters are equipped with internal overload protection. The entire assembly of the furnace in this case comes down to making an inductor with your own hands.

It is usually performed in the form of a spiral from a copper thin-walled tube with a diameter of 8-10 mm. It is bent according to a template of the desired diameter, placing the turns at a distance of 5-8 mm. The number of turns is from 7 to 12, depending on the diameter and characteristics of the inverter. The total resistance of the inductor must be such that it does not cause an overcurrent in the inverter, otherwise it will be tripped by the internal protection.

The inductor can be mounted in a housing made of graphite or textolite and a crucible can be installed inside. You can simply put the inductor on a heat-resistant surface. The housing must not conduct current, otherwise the eddy current circuit will pass through it and the power of the installation will be reduced. For the same reason, it is not recommended to place foreign objects in the melting zone.

When working from a welding inverter, its housing must be grounded! The socket and wiring must be rated for the current drawn by the inverter.


The heating system of a private house is based on the operation of a stove or boiler, the high performance and long uninterrupted service life of which depends both on the brand and installation of the heating devices themselves, and on the correct installation of the chimney.
you will find recommendations for choosing a solid fuel boiler, and in the following you will get acquainted with the types and rules:

Transistor induction furnace: circuit

There are many various ways assemble an induction heater with your own hands. A fairly simple and proven scheme of a furnace for melting metal is shown in the figure:

    To assemble the installation with your own hands, you will need the following parts and materials:
  • two field-effect transistors of the IRFZ44V type;
  • two diodes UF4007 (you can also use UF4001);
  • resistor 470 Ohm, 1 W (you can take two series-connected 0.5 W each);
  • film capacitors for 250 V: 3 pieces with a capacity of 1 microfarad; 4 pieces - 220 nF; 1 piece - 470 nF; 1 piece - 330 nF;
  • copper winding wire in enamel insulation Ø1.2 mm;
  • copper winding wire in enamel insulation Ø2 mm;
  • two rings from chokes taken from a computer power supply.

Do-it-yourself assembly sequence:

  • Field-effect transistors are mounted on radiators. Since the circuit gets very hot during operation, the radiator must be large enough. You can also install them on one radiator, but then you need to isolate the transistors from the metal using gaskets and washers made of rubber and plastic. The pinout of field effect transistors is shown in the figure.

  • It is necessary to make two chokes. For their manufacture, copper wire with a diameter of 1.2 mm is wound around rings taken from the power supply of any computer. These rings are made of powdered ferromagnetic iron. They need to be wound from 7 to 15 turns of wire, trying to maintain the distance between the turns.

  • The capacitors listed above are assembled into a battery with a total capacity of 4.7 microfarads. Connection of capacitors - parallel.

  • The inductor winding is made of copper wire with a diameter of 2 mm. 7-8 turns of winding are wound on a cylindrical object suitable for the diameter of the crucible, leaving long enough ends to connect to the circuit.
  • Connect the elements on the board in accordance with the diagram. A 12 V, 7.2 A/h battery is used as a power source. The current consumed in the operating mode is about 10 A, the battery capacity in this case is enough for about 40 minutes. If necessary, the furnace body is made of a heat-resistant material, for example, textolite. The power of the device can be changed by changing the number of turns of the inductor winding and their diameter.
During prolonged operation, the heater elements may overheat! You can use a fan to cool them.

Induction heater for melting metal: video

Lamp induction oven

A more powerful induction furnace for melting metals can be assembled by hand on vacuum tubes. The diagram of the device is shown in the figure.

To generate high-frequency current, 4 beam lamps connected in parallel are used. A copper tube with a diameter of 10 mm is used as an inductor. The unit is equipped with a trimmer capacitor for power adjustment. The output frequency is 27.12 MHz.

To assemble the circuit you need:

  • 4 vacuum tubes - tetrodes, you can use 6L6, 6P3 or G807;
  • 4 chokes for 100 ... 1000 μH;
  • 4 capacitors at 0.01 uF;
  • neon indicator lamp;
  • tuning capacitor.

Assembling the device with your own hands:

  1. An inductor is made from a copper tube, bending it in the form of a spiral. The diameter of the turns is 8-15 cm, the distance between the turns is at least 5 mm. The ends are tinned for soldering to the circuit. The diameter of the inductor must be 10 mm larger than the diameter of the crucible placed inside.
  2. Place the inductor in the housing. It can be made from a heat-resistant non-conductive material, or from metal, providing thermal and electrical insulation from the circuit elements.
  3. Cascades of lamps are assembled according to the scheme with capacitors and chokes. Cascades are connected in parallel.
  4. Connect a neon indicator lamp - it will signal the readiness of the circuit for operation. The lamp is brought to the installation housing.
  5. A tuning capacitor of variable capacitance is included in the circuit, its handle is also displayed on the case.


For all lovers of cold-smoked delicacies, we suggest you learn how to quickly and easily make a smokehouse with your own hands, and get acquainted with the photo and video instructions for making a cold-smoked smoke generator.

Circuit cooling

Industrial melting plants are equipped with a forced cooling system using water or antifreeze. Water cooling at home will require additional costs, comparable in price to the cost of the metal melting plant itself.

Air-cooling with a fan is possible provided that the fan is sufficiently remote. Otherwise, the metal winding and other elements of the fan will serve as an additional circuit for closing eddy currents, which will reduce the efficiency of the installation.

Elements of the electronic and lamp circuits are also able to actively heat up. For their cooling, heat-removing radiators are provided.

Work Safety Measures

  • The main danger during operation is the risk of burns from the heated elements of the installation and molten metal.
  • The lamp circuit includes elements with high voltage, so it must be placed in a closed case, eliminating accidental contact with the elements.
  • The electromagnetic field can affect objects that are outside the device case. Therefore, before work, it is better to put on clothes without metal elements, remove complex devices from the coverage area: phones, digital cameras.
It is not recommended to use the device for people with implanted pacemakers!

A domestic metal melting furnace can also be used to quickly heat up metal elements, for example, when they are tinned or shaped. The characteristics of the operation of the presented installations can be adjusted to a specific task by changing the parameters of the inductor and the output signal of the generator sets - this way you can achieve their maximum efficiency.

Many are attracted electric heating The fact that it works autonomously and does not need to be constantly looked after. The negative side of such heating boilers is the cost and technical requirements.

In some places, they simply cannot be applied. But many owners are not afraid of this, and they believe that it is the ease of operation that covers all the shortcomings.

Especially when new types appeared on the markets with inductive coils, and not TENs. They heat up the building with instantaneous speed and economically heat the building, according to the owners of the units. The new type of boilers is called induction.

The new type of heaters is convenient in operation. They are considered safe, in comparison with gas heaters, there is no soot and soot, which cannot be said about solid fuel appliances. And the most important advantage is that there is no need to procure solid fuel (coal, firewood, etc.).

And as soon as induction heaters appeared, there were immediately craftsmen who, in order to save money, are trying to create such an installation with their own hands.

In this article, we will help you design a heating device yourself.

A device where metal and similar products are heated without contact is called an induction heater. The work is controlled by an alternating induction field acting on the metal, and the currents inside form heat.

High frequency currents affect products in addition to insulation, which is why the design is extraordinary compared to other types of heating.

In today's induction heaters there are semiconductor frequency reducers. This type of heating is widely used in the heat treatment of surfaces made of steel and various compounds and alloys.

The compactness of the equipment is used in innovative technologies, while there is a huge economic effect. A variety of models help implement flexible and automated combinations, including all-round type transistor frequency reducers and connection blocks when an induction system is preferred.

Description


Heater device

The composition of a typical heating element includes the following components:

  1. A heating element in the form of a rod or a metal tube.
  2. Inductor- This is a copper wire framing the coil with turns. During operation, it plays the role of a generator.
  3. Alternator. A separate structure where the standard current is converted into a value with a high frequency.

On practice, induction installations have been used recently. Theoretical studies are far ahead. This can be explained by one obstacle - obtaining a high frequency of magnetic fields. The fact is that using low-frequency settings is considered inefficient. As soon as they appeared with a high frequency, the problem was resolved.

HDTV generators have passed their evolutionary period; from lamps to modern models based on IGBT. Now they are more efficient, have a small weight and dimensions. Their frequency limitation is 100 kHz due to the dynamic losses of transistors.

Principle of operation and scope

The generator increases the frequency of the current and transfers its energy to the coil. The inductor converts high-frequency current into an alternating electromagnetic field. Electromagnetic waves change with high frequency.

Heating occurs due to the heating of eddy currents, which are provoked by variable eddy vectors of the electromagnetic field. Energy with high efficiency is transmitted almost without loss and there is enough energy to heat the coolant and even more.

The battery energy is transferred to the coolant, which is located inside the pipe. The heat carrier, in turn, is the cooler of the heating element. As a result, the service life is increased.

The industry is the most active consumer of induction heaters, as many designs involve high heat treatment. With their use, the strength of products increases.

In high-frequency forges, devices with high power are installed.

Forging and pressing companies, using such units, increase labor productivity and reduce the wear of dies, reduce metal consumption. Installations with through heating can cover a certain number of workpieces at once.

In case of surface hardening of parts, the use of such heating makes it possible to increase wear resistance several times and obtain a significant economic effect.

The generally accepted field of application of devices is soldering, melting, heating before deformation, HDTV hardening. But there are still zones where single-crystal semiconductor materials are obtained, epitaxial films are built up, materials are foamed into el. field, high-frequency welding of shells and pipes.

Advantages and disadvantages

Pros:

  1. High quality heating.
  2. High control precision and flexibility.
  3. Reliability. It can work autonomously with automation.
  4. Heats any liquid.
  5. The efficiency of the device is 90%.
  6. Long service life(up to 30 years).
  7. Ease of mounting.
  8. The heater does not collect scale.
  9. Due to automation, energy savings.

Minuses:

  1. The high cost of models with automation.
  2. Dependence on power supply.
  3. Some models are noisy.

How to do it yourself?

Wiring diagram of the induction heater

Let's say you decide to make an induction heater yourself, for this we prepare a pipe, pour small pieces of steel wire (9 cm in length) into it.

The pipe can be plastic or metal, most importantly, with thick walls. Then, it is closed with special adapters from all sides.

Next, we wind copper wire on it up to 100 turns and place it in the central part of the tube. The result is an inductor. We connect the output part of the inverter to this winding. As an assistant, we resort to.

The pipe acts as a heater.

We prepare the generator and assemble the entire structure.

Required materials and tools:

  • stainless steel wire or wire rod (diameter 7 mm);
  • water;
  • enameled copper wire;
  • metal mesh with small holes;
  • adapters;
  • thick-walled plastic pipe;


Walkthrough:

  1. Mode wire into pieces, 50 mm long.
  2. We prepare the shell for the heater. We use a thick-walled pipe (diameter 50 mm).
  3. We close the bottom and top of the case with a net.
  4. Preparing the induction coil. With a copper wire, we wind 90 turns on the body and place them in the center of the shell.
  5. Cut out part of the pipe from the pipeline and install an induction boiler.
  6. We connect the coil to the inverter and fill the pot with water.
  7. We ground the resulting structure.
  8. We check the system in operation. Do not use without water, as the plastic pipe may melt.

From a welding inverter


The simplest budget option is to manufacture an induction heater using a welding inverter:

  1. To do this, take a polymer pipe, its walls should be thick. From the ends we mount 2 valves and connect the wiring.
  2. Pour the pieces into the pipe(diameter 5 mm) metal wire and mount the top valve.
  3. Next, we make 90 turns around the pipe with copper wire, we get an inductor. The heating element is a pipe, we use a welding machine as a generator.
  4. The device must be in AC mode. with high frequency.
  5. We connect the copper wire to the poles of the welding machine and check the work.

Working as an inductor, a magnetic field will be radiated, while eddy currents will heat up the chopped wire, which will lead to boiling water in the polymer pipe

.


  1. Open sections of the structure, for safety reasons, should be isolated.
  2. The use of an induction heater is only recommended for closed systems heating, where a pump is equipped for circulating the coolant.
  3. The design with an induction heater is placed 800 mm from the ceiling, 300 from furniture and walls.
  4. Installing a pressure gauge will secure your design.
  5. The heating device should be equipped automatic system management.
  6. The heater must be connected to the mains with special adapters.

Electric energy is quite expensive today, but heating equipment operating on this resource does not lose popularity.

This is because electric heating is the most convenient way to heat a home.

Of particular interest to users are devices operating on the principle of electromagnetic induction.

Mainly because such a device can be easily assembled by yourself. In this article we will talk about the features of these units, study their strengths and weak sides, and also learn how to make an induction heater with your own hands.

The operation of all electric heaters, both conventional and induction, is based on the same principle: when an electric current is passed through a certain conductor, the latter will begin to heat up.

The amount of heat released per unit of time depends on the current strength and the resistance value of a given conductor - the larger these indicators, the more the material will heat up.

The whole question is how to cause an electric current to flow? You can connect the conductor directly to a source of electrical energy, which we do by plugging a cord from an electric kettle, oil heater or, for example, a boiler into the outlet. But another way can be applied: as it turned out, the flow of electric current can be provoked by exposing the conductor to an alternating (precisely alternating!) Magnetic field. This phenomenon, discovered in 1831 by M. Faraday, was called electromagnetic induction.

There is one trick here: the magnetic field can be constant, but then the position of the conductor in it must be constantly changed. In this case, the number of lines of force passing through the conductor and their direction relative to it will change. The easiest way is to rotate the conductor in the field, which is done in modern power generators.

Principle of electromagnetic induction

But you can change the parameters of the field itself. With a permanent magnet, such a trick, of course, will not work, but with an electromagnet - completely. The work of an electromagnet, who forgot, is based on the opposite effect: an alternating current flowing through a conductor generates a magnetic field around it, the parameters of which (polarity and intensity) depend on the direction of the current and its magnitude. For a more tangible effect, the wire can be laid in the form of a coil.

Thus, by changing the parameters of the electric current in the electromagnet, we will change all the parameters of the magnetic field induced by it, up to the change in the location of the poles to the opposite.

And then this magnetic field, which is indeed variable, will induce an electric current in any conductive material located within it. And the material at the same time, of course, will heat up. This is the principle of operation of modern induction heaters.

Looking for the most economical electric water heater? Then take a look. Read about the advantages and disadvantages of the device in the article.

Have you decided to install an electric boiler as a backup heat generator? Read about which model is better to choose.

The induction furnace is a multifunctional device. It can be purchased at the store, but it is more interesting and cheaper to make it yourself. At this link you will find the assembly diagram of the device and learn about the features of the operation of the furnace.

Induction heat generator in the heating system

The induction water heaters used in heating circuits have both advantages common to all electric heaters and inherent only to them. Let's start with the first group:

  1. In terms of ease of use, electric heaters are ahead of even gas equipment, as they do without ignition. In addition, they are much safer: the owner does not have to be afraid of fuel leakage or combustion products.
  2. Electrical equipment does not need a chimney and maintenance in the form of removing carbon deposits and soot.
  3. The efficiency of an electric heater does not depend on its power. It can be set to the very minimum, and at the same time the efficiency of the unit will remain at the level of 99%, while the efficiency of a gas or solid fuel boiler in such conditions will be significantly lower than the passport one.
  4. In the presence of an electric heat generator, the heating system can operate in the lowest temperature mode, which is very important during the off-season. In the case of using a gas or solid fuel boiler, the “return” temperature drop below 50 degrees is not allowed, since in this case condensate forms on the heat exchanger (when using solid fuel it contains acid).
  5. And the last thing: when using electric heating, you can do without a liquid coolant, however, this does not apply to induction heaters.

Simple induction heater

Let's move on to the advantages of directly "inductors":

  1. The contact area of ​​the coolant with the hot surface in induction heaters is thousands of times larger than in devices with tubular electric heaters. Therefore, the environment warms up much faster.
  2. All elements of the "inductor" are mounted only from the outside, without any tie-ins. Accordingly, leaks are completely excluded.
  3. Since heating is carried out in a non-contact way, an induction type heater can work with absolutely any coolant, including all types of antifreeze (a special one would be needed for a heating element electric boiler). At the same time, water can contain a relatively large amount of hardness salts - an alternating magnetic field prevents the formation of scale on the walls of the heat exchanger.

For every barrel of honey, as you know, there is a fly in the ointment. Here, too, it could not have done without it: not only is electricity in itself quite expensive, but also induction heaters are among the most expensive type of electric heating equipment.

Do-it-yourself induction heater - design diagram

Simplicity of design is one of the advantages of an induction heater. Inside the round shielded case there is a coil, in the language of physicists it is called an inductor. It connects to an AC power source. Inside the coil is a segment steel pipe ending with two pipes. The latter allow you to connect the heater to the heating system.

Thus, after connecting, a coolant will follow through the pipe, while it will heat up under the influence of the alternating field generated by the coil. From contact with the pipe, respectively, the coolant will also heat up.

Diagram of an induction heater

In some models of induction heaters, the coil is connected directly to the mains, as a result of which the magnetic field created by it changes polarity at a frequency of 50 Hz. But there is a more efficient connection scheme. It differs from the one just described by the presence of a converter that increases the oscillation frequency of the current supplied to the coil from 50 Hz to several tens of kilohertz. Such a converter is called an inverter. It consists of three modules:

  1. Rectifier, which is a conventional diode bridge.
  2. Basically an inverter. The main characters are a couple of so-called. key transistors that can switch very quickly.
  3. A control circuit that "conducts" the key transistors.

It is easy to see that the processes occurring inside the heater are very similar to the operation of a step-down transformer, only in this case the secondary winding is short-circuited and is located inside the primary.

Another difference is that in the case of a transformer, heating is side effect, which they try to prevent (for example, they collect a magnetic circuit from separate insulated plates).

How to make an induction heater yourself?

The simplest do-it-yourself induction heater is done like this:

  1. At one end of a segment of a thick-walled polypropylene pipe, it is necessary to weld a sleeve, having previously fixed a nylon fine-mesh mesh on the end of the pipe.
  2. Turning the pipe with the mesh down, it is necessary to fill it with chopped stainless wire with a diameter of 5–7 mm (the length of the cuts is about 5 cm).
  3. The free end of the pipe must also be closed with a sleeve and mesh. Due to this, the steel backfill, which plays the role of the core, will be held inside.
  4. From the outside, an adapter is welded into each coupling to the desired diameter (corresponds to the diameter of the heating circuit.).
  5. 90 turns of copper wire should be wound on the pipe.
  6. The resulting coil must be connected to an inverter from the cheapest welding machine, designed for welding current up to 20A and equipped with the function of its smooth adjustment.
  7. It remains to connect the heater to the heating system, fill it with coolant and apply current to the coil.

For ease of maintenance, ball valves can be installed at the inlet and outlet of the heater - this will make it possible to dismantle the device without draining the heating circuit.

To avoid rupture of the system due to overheating of the coolant, on the one hand, a safety valve should be connected to the heater through a tee.

In the presence of a 3-phase network, the heater can be improved by installing three coils instead of one.

  1. Induction heaters may only be used in systems with forced circulation. Heat is generated quite intensively, therefore, during natural circulation, especially taking into account the significant hydraulic resistance of the chopped wire core, overheating of the coolant is possible.
  2. The safety valve must not be neglected. It must be mounted either on the heater, as described above, or elsewhere in the system. It is obvious that when exiting circulation pump failure to overheat the coolant cannot be avoided, and in the absence of a safety valve, this phenomenon will lead to a rupture of the system.
  3. The heater should be connected through the RCD. It is also advisable to equip the heating system with a thermostat.

Often, craftsmen place a homemade induction heater in an insulated metal case. In this case, it must be grounded.

Due to the lack of full-fledged shielding in a home-made "inductor", it should be placed no closer than 80 cm from the ceiling or floor. The distance between the appliance and the wall must be at least 30 cm.

Remember that an alternating electromagnetic field exists not only inside the coil, but also outside, so it can heat up any nearby metal objects. For example, fasteners or buttons on the wearer's clothing.

Induction heating technology has found wide application in industry and began to penetrate into the domestic sphere. attract with their cost-effectiveness and simplicity of design. Read about the design of the device and see examples of homemade designs.

You will learn about the types of cast-iron heating stoves and options for their installation in the material.

Related video

Induction heating is a modern way of heat treatment of electrically conductive substances and materials, which has the highest coefficient useful action among existing methods. For more economical operation of heating and household appliances, today, special induction heaters are used. How induction devices work and how to make an induction heating device yourself - read below.

The principle of induction heating is based on the action of alternating current on the transformer winding and the subsequent occurrence of an electromagnetic field. As a result of the occurrence of a magnetic field, a gap is formed between magnetic and non-magnetic parts. electricity. It is high-frequency currents (HF) that heat various electrically conductive materials.

Induction heating has many advantages:

  • The induction heating device is lightweight, so it can be easily used for domestic purposes;
  • Induction heating is ideal for all types of metal heat treatment, among which welding, soldering, forging are especially popular;
  • High frequency heating can be done in vacuum, protective gas;
  • With the help of induction, it is possible to quickly and evenly heat electrically conductive substances, to obtain ultrapure metals.

In addition, this method of heating is ultra-economical: it converts up to 90% of the consumed into heat (despite the fact that conventional electric heaters have an average of 45-50%).

Vortex induction heater

Due to the economic benefits, today, induction heating has a wide range of applications. The vortex induction heating device is perfect for rooms up to 60 square meters. m, which need to be heated by electricity. So, VIN can be used for heating private houses, production and storage facilities, gas stations, car service centers and other separate facilities.

The main advantages of using VIN as the “heart” of a heating system include the following:

  • Heating occurs almost instantly, because heat occurs directly in the part;
  • Over the years, the installation works with the same power, its performance does not decrease;
  • Compared with conventional electric heating elements, the induction vortex apparatus saves up to 50% of electricity.

That is why today, more and more manufacturing companies household appliances and production machines use induction heating. An example of such use, in addition to heating boilers, is an induction electric furnace. The food industry uses an ultrasonic induction heater. In industry, an inverter induction apparatus is used to heat metals, a melting and reduction unit is used for melting non-ferrous metals, an induction electric furnace is used for forging iron and making blanks.

Scheme of an induction heater based on a printed circuit board

You can make a VIN with your own hands. In order to correctly assemble the vortex apparatus for induction heating, it is necessary to find a diagram of the device. The simplest is the scheme printed circuit board, which is a chopper that runs on high-power transistors.

The salient features of this scheme are:

  • Heating inductor (coil) in the form of a spiral with 6-8 turns;
  • The presence of a voltage regulator (you can take it from an old computer unit);
  • The presence of resistance that protects the transistors from overheating.

Transistors in a heater assembled according to this scheme are recommended to be installed on special radiators: this will avoid overheating of the device. According to the same scheme, you can assemble an induction water heater.

The device of the vortex induction heater includes:

  • coil;
  • Heat exchanger;
  • terminal box;
  • Control cabinet;
  • Inlet and outlet pipes.

Such a scheme is based on the resonant principle of operation, which occurs in a series oscillatory circuit. The magnetic flux between the turns of the coil is closed in air.

To assemble a heater for water heating, it will be easiest to use a circuit with a transformer consisting of primary and secondary short-circuited windings. Water will be heated, passing through the pipes inside the coil and supplied heated from the outlet.

At the same time, it should be remembered that in water heating systems with VID it is necessary to use a pump for forced circulation of water.

If it is not possible to install a flow pump, then you can choose a mechanical heater for the liquid heat carrier as a heating element or attach a heater with permanent magnets to the wall of the tank with the heat carrier.

Ecohouse - dream or reality? Can a house consume no energy at all? Answers on the next page:

The simplest do-it-yourself induction heater

The most budgetary induction generator can be made by taking a transformer magnetic circuit. A sufficiently powerful device for induction heating can be assembled from an electronic transformer, which is a switching power supply.

In order to assemble the device you need:

  1. Solder the main transformer from the electric one;
  2. Make an inductor based on a ferrite cup;
  3. Solder the ends of the wires in place of the switching power supply.

Such a heater will have an efficiency of at least 65%. This will be enough to assemble a small induction electric oven. In addition, with the help of such a device, it will be possible to quickly melt wires with a diameter of up to 4 mm.

How to make an induction heater with your own hands: instructions

An induction heating apparatus can be made from an inverter power source of a welding machine. At the same time, the design can be simplified by placing a straight pipe inside the induction coil. She will work as a core. In order to make a heater you will need: a polymer pipe with a diameter of 5 cm; steel wire with a diameter of 0.6 cm; copper wire 3mm; construction metal fine mesh.

Let's get to work:

  • We cut the wire rod into segments 3-6 mm long;
  • We close one end of the pipe with a construction mesh;
  • We fall asleep inside the pipe pieces of wire;
  • We close the second end of the pipe with a mesh;
  • On top of the pipe we perform winding (there must be at least 85 and no more than 95 turns);
  • We isolate the ends of the winding and connect them to the output of one of the types of power source for the welding arc.

The device is ready! Now, during the operation of the apparatus, the coil will create an electromagnetic field and eddy current flows. This will cause the device to heat up quickly.

Induction heater from a welding inverter: features

In its usual form, induction heaters made from a welding inverter pose an increased danger, because they cannot autonomously control the temperature of the water. Thus, the use of a heater in systems with a heat carrier can be fraught with short circuits and burst pipes. This can happen due to the high hydraulic resistance in the system, which occurs due to the movement of the coolant through the pieces of wire rod. Therefore, such devices require improvements.

To avoid emergencies, should be provided homemade apparatus induction heating, made of welding inverter, emergency shutdown devices.

To control heating, you can use a thermostat with a temperature sensor and a relay that opens the circuit when the temperature of the coolant reaches the set values. In addition, it will be possible to avoid a rupture of the system by attaching a safety valve to the heater through a tee, on the one hand.

Experienced electricians say that converting one of the types of welding arc power sources into a heater is not justified: the thermal power of the heater will be limited by the electrical power of the inverter.

Such a heat generator is enough to heat a room, the area of ​​\u200b\u200bwhich is not more than 30 square meters. m. Cost savings, in this case, will be 30-50% (depending on the size of the apartment). At the same time, you will lose an expensive welding machine today.

What is an induction heater (video)

Inductive heating is a modern way of heat treatment of electrically conductive substances, which has found wide domestic use. So, vortex induction heaters are great for organizing a more economical and efficient operation of the heating system. Make an induction generator, while you can do it yourself. The main thing is to take into account the recommendations of professional electricians and perform all work consistently!