Design of a novel test bench for induction heating load characterization

Abstract

Magnetic materials used in induction heating applications have nonlinear magnetic properties with respect to field strength and frequency, which can be effectively characterized using experimental techniques. To this end, we present a test bench inverter optimized for induction heating experimentation, capable of driving an inductive load across a 1-100 kHz frequency range with up to 2 kW power. Harmonic distortion of the inverter is minimized with a novel multilevel topology and modulation scheme, thus allowing near-sinusoidal excitations to be obtained at varying field strengths and frequencies. To demonstration the capabilities of the test bench, we characterize the power dissipation of a loaded induction heating coil across a range of frequencies and power levels.