Heating arrangement and method for its manufacture

Abstract

Arrangement (1) for heating bodies (2) which are provided with at least one susceptor (10), with an inductive heating device (3) provided with at least one heating element, which inductively heats the at least one susceptor (10) of the body (2) to be heated and is arranged at a distance from it, wherein the at least one susceptor (10) forms at least one region (11) of the body (2) to be heated, and wherein the susceptor (10) has at least a first ferromagnetic material which at least partially converts induction power decoupled from an alternating electromagnetic field by the heating device (2) into heat power, wherein the susceptor (10) has at least one second ferromagnetic material, different from the first, in at least one region (11) of the body (2) to be heated, and in that the Curie temperatures of the two ferromagnetic materials differ from one another, characterized in thatthat the ferromagnetic materials form a common homogeneous layer and that when the lower of the at least two Curie temperatures is reached, the material having this Curie temperature is no longer available to convert the power contained in the induction field into heat, while the other material, which has a higher Curie temperature, continues to extract power from the induction field of the heating device and produces heat.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to an arrangement for heating bodies which are provided with at least one susceptor, with an inductive heating device provided with at least one heating element, which inductively heats the at least one susceptor of the body to be heated and is arranged at a distance from it, wherein the at least one susceptor forms at least one region of the body to be heated, and wherein the susceptor has at least a first ferromagnetic material which at least partially converts induction power decoupled from an alternating electromagnetic field by the heating device into heat power, wherein the susceptor has at least one second ferromagnetic material which is different from the first in at least one region of the body to be heated, and the Curie temperatures of the two ferromagnetic materials differ from one another.The invention also relates to a method for producing an arrangement for heating bodies by means of an inductive heating device with at least one inductive heating element, in which arrangement a body to be heated is provided with at least one ferromagnetic material.

[0002] The heating of bodies using inductive heating devices is well known in principle. Energy in the form of an alternating electromagnetic field is applied to the relevant part of the body and converted into heat. A current-carrying coil acts as a heating element to generate the alternating magnetic field. This coil induces eddy currents in metallic bodies, which heat the body due to the ohmic resistance.

[0003] The susceptor mentioned is a material capable of absorbing induction energy from the electromagnetic field and converting it into heat. The material can be a conductive metal, which is used to conduct heat into another piece of metal, or even a non-conductive material. The heat is transferred to the body via thermal conduction or radiation, which in turn can be used to heat other objects, such as a heating element. A frequently used material for susceptors is graphite, for example, which is extremely durable and, while also being easy to process, can withstand high temperatures. Other susceptors are made of stainless steel, molybdenum, silicon carbide, aluminum, and other conductive materials.The susceptor can be inserted into the material of the body in different forms, for example as a layer, tubular or disc-shaped, or simulating the contour of a receptacle, such as a crucible.

[0004] When heating a body, although in principle a variety of materials, particularly metallic ones, are possible, bodies containing a proportion of ferromagnetic materials are preferred, as these are capable of focusing the alternating field and converting the applied electrical energy into thermal energy with high efficiency. Due to their specific electrical resistance, iron alloys, for example, are often used as ferromagnetic materials. The most well-known everyday phenomenon of inductive heating of bodies is certainly the heating of food or similar heating materials in suitable cookware on an induction hob. In any case, the base of the cookware in question is coated with a ferromagnetic material.Induction heat in cookware is generated both by eddy currents and by remagnetization of ferritic material, as the induction plate of the stove generates a high-frequency alternating field. When a certain temperature limit is exceeded, the heating caused by remagnetization is eliminated, so the power required for this process drops significantly.

[0005] The ferromagnetism of a material arises from the fact that elementary magnetic moments exhibit a parallel order. Even without an external magnetic field, this parallel order persists due to the interaction of the moments with each other. The so-called Curie temperature marks a reversible phase transition of ferromagnetic or ferrimagnetic materials into their paramagnetic high-temperature form. This magnetic order is lost at high temperatures, and the ferromagnets are then only paramagnetic. Above the Curie temperature, the spontaneous or directional magnetization of crystal regions of the respective material disappears. The loss of the ferromagnetic property also means that the coupled magnetic field is less strongly focused and can therefore spread more widely in space.Consequently, a smaller portion of the field can be coupled into the material in the form of eddy currents to generate heat.

[0006] In fact, the Curie temperature of ferromagnetic materials is often above 500°C, so that conventional cookware made of such materials can neither reach nor should reach this temperature. In any case, a safety shutdown of the stove would be triggered at, for example, 400°C. Nevertheless, this already exceeds a temperature of approximately 280°C, at which there is a risk of burning the PTFE non-stick coating often found on the inside of the cookware, which would pose a health risk to the user and result in a loss of the non-stick properties.

[0007] Due to the loss of ferromagnetic properties when the Curie temperature of the ferromagnetic material used is exceeded, the power extracted from the alternating electromagnetic field of the heating element falls below a certain threshold, so that a safety circuit in the heating device often intervenes and switches off the heating element. Subsequently, the temperature of the ferromagnetic material drops again and falls below the Curie temperature, allowing the material's ferromagnetic properties to return.

[0008] Depending on the presetting of the heating device, the heating element can now, in principle, "kickstart" to emit electromagnetic power again and provide the ferromagnetic material of the body to be heated with electromagnetic power to decouple it from the field. The heating device can do this automatically based on its presetting, but there are also a sufficient number of heating devices that require the active actuation of a switch or similar control element to reactivate the alternating field after the heating power is switched off. Furthermore, it is also conceivable that the material being heated or the body itself reacts to a constant alternation between heating phases and more intense cooling with undesirable side effects that would not occur with constant, uninterrupted heating.Finally, the aforementioned alternation of the heating and cooling phases can limit the service life of at least the switching electronics or even the heating element of the heating device; the switching process itself can also be associated with a noise that is perceived as unpleasant or at least disturbing.

[0009] From EP 1343355 B2, an intelligent susceptor with a geometrically complex deformed surface is known, in which a lattice structure comprises a flexible material that can be cast into geometrically complex parts and provides a carrier for a magnetically permeable material.

[0010] From DE 10 2006 014 818 B4 a device for preparing and / or keeping warm food is known, wherein a Curie temperature of the ferromagnetic material corresponds approximately to the preparation or keeping warm temperature of the food.

[0011] From US 2005 / 0045624 A1 a food preparation device with a self-regulating inductor is known, wherein an inductor region is made of a selected nickel-iron alloy having a predetermined Curie temperature in order to maintain a water temperature in a food warming device between 82°C and 99°C.

[0012] Inductively heatable components are known from US 2005 / 0121437 A1, wherein a composite material contains a polymeric matrix and inductively heatable particles.

[0013] From WO 2014 / 087063 A1, a cookware item is known having a base plate made of a material with a low Curie point, wherein the base plate has a second ferromagnetic material with a higher Curie temperature, wherein the base plate is designed such that, during operation of the heating device, a heating power is generated which brings the temperature of the base plate to a maximum temperature close to the Curie temperature of the first material.

[0014] From US 8796598 B2 an induction cookware is known, wherein the cookware has an inner wall which is at least partially formed from an electrically conductive material, and an outer wall which is at least partially made from an electrically non-conductive material.

[0015] From DE 20209827 U1 a metallic cookware suitable for induction cookers is known, wherein the inside of the base of a container part is provided with a material whose thermal properties correspond to those of a magnetizable material on the outside of the base.

[0016] From DE 10 2005 056 501 A1 a flat induction cooking system is known in which an induction hob has at least one inductor coil arranged below a cooking surface plate.

[0017] From US 2014 / 0326717 A1, a production of cold-sprayed smart susceptors on an incrementally formed sheet is known, wherein the smart susceptor is designed to have a desired Curie temperature based on the composition of the ferromagnetic material.

[0018] The object is therefore to provide an arrangement for heating bodies by means of an inductive heating device, which ensures that in at least one adjustable temperature range a defined, largely constant heat output can be coupled into the body by means of the heating device over a certain period of time without overheating the body.

[0019] This object is achieved by the features of claim 1, in particular by an arrangement of the type mentioned above, in which at least one second ferromagnetic material is provided in at least one region of the at least one body to be heated, the Curie temperature of which material differs from the Curie temperature of the first material. The ferromagnetic materials form a common homogeneous layer, and upon reaching the lower of the at least two Curie temperatures, the material exhibiting this Curie temperature is no longer available to convert the power contained in the induction field into heat, while the other material, exhibiting a higher Curie temperature, continues to extract power from the induction field of the heating device and produce heat.

[0020] In addition to the first ferromagnetic material, the body to be heated is provided with a second ferromagnetic material, the two of which have different Curie temperatures. This naturally means that the Curie temperature of one material used is higher than the Curie temperature of the other material. For example, it is possible to use a material with a Curie temperature of approximately 200°C as the first material, while the other material has a Curie temperature of 270°C. Accordingly, reaching the Curie temperature of the first material does not lead to a shutdown of the heating device, since the second material still decouples sufficient power from the field above the heating device's power limit. In this way, it is possible for the body in question to remain permanently coupled within a defined power range of the heating device.

[0021] When using at least two electromagnetic materials with different Curie temperatures, at a certain power level, the inductive, ferromagnetic material of the susceptor in the body is heated to the point where the lower of the at least two Curie temperatures is reached. From this point on, the material with this Curie temperature is no longer available to convert the power contained in the induction field into heat. Because the other material has a higher Curie temperature, this material can continue to extract power from the induction field of the heating device and produce heat. The body to be heated thus remains "visible" to the induction field, even if one material is partially "deactivated," which can prevent the induction field from being switched off if the power falls below a certain limit of the heating device.Furthermore, the combination of the two materials with different Curie temperatures can lead to a point being reached when power is coupled in at which the body's heat loss and the coupled induction power are in equilibrium, thus leveling off the heating power and remaining constant.

[0022] Thus, with appropriate settings of the heating device, the object to be heated can be heated continuously without overheating. If the higher of the at least two Curie temperatures is exceeded, the ferromagnetic properties would completely disappear, and the power output of the field would be interrupted at least temporarily due to safety settings. This higher of the two Curie temperatures should preferably be selected to take into account the release of toxic components from coatings on the object to be heated. In the case of cookware, this could be non-stick coatings, such as those made of PTFE, which release harmful fluorine compounds such as fluorophosgene above certain temperatures.

[0023] The arrangement according to the invention is therefore suitable for generating heat using an induction heater, in which a constant induction power is maintained during the heating process because the induction field does not switch off. The focus here is less on limiting the temperature of the system itself, but rather on maintaining a constant power output by preventing the field from switching off. As a result, this also leads to temperature stability when equilibrium is established.

[0024] As described, the invention provides that the at least two ferromagnetic materials form a substantially homogeneous layer on the body to be heated. The different ferromagnetic materials can be mixed in a common layer and distributed approximately evenly. Such a homogeneous layer can be formed with at least a number of particle types corresponding to the number of different ferromagnetic materials. If the body or bodies to be heated are, for example, cooking utensils, it can be advantageous for the at least two ferromagnetic materials to be arranged in a layer near a support surface formed on the body to be heated, which, in turn, comes to rest on the heating device, i.e., the cooking surface of an induction cooker provided for this purpose, in the use position.Below the glass ceramic cooking surface, which is practically completely untouched by the heating process, is the heating element, designed as a current-carrying coil, which generates the alternating electromagnetic field.

[0025] The heating process of the body is positively influenced by a suitable selection of ferromagnetic materials. This can be used for the susceptor alone, entire areas of the body, or even the entire body. The at least two ferromagnetic materials can advantageously be cast steel, deep-drawn steel, or magnetizable stainless steel, for example.

[0026] In advantageous embodiments of the arrangement according to the invention, the body to be heated can be designed as cooking utensils for heating food, as a tool, as a medical device, or as a pharmaceutical product. However, this list is not exhaustive; other objects are also conceivable as components of the arrangement according to the invention. In a preferred development, for example, the body to be heated can be provided as a tool in a manufacturing process, for example as part of a stamping press in an injection molding process. The body to be heated can form both the stamp of such a press and a holder for an object to be stamped, which object itself would possibly have to be heated prior to stamping.

[0027] Another preferred embodiment of the arrangement according to the invention can be provided in such a way that at least two ferromagnetic materials are used, which are matched to one another such that the Curie temperature of the at least one second ferromagnetic material is between 250°C and 300°C, while the Curie temperature of the first ferromagnetic material is between 200°C and 230°C. This would allow the body to be heated to a constant temperature between 200°C and 300°C without having to switch on the heating device. Based on the desired temperature range, the power values ​​to be set can be determined if necessary.The Curie temperatures of the at least two ferromagnetic materials can thus be related to each other in such a way that, taking into account the body's heat loss, the induction power coupled from the alternating electromagnetic field produces a permanent heat output in a range between 300 W and 1300 W. The values ​​that can be adjusted by selecting the appropriate material are quite flexible within certain limits. It is also conceivable, for example, that the electromagnetic induction power permanently coupled into the body should not fall below a certain value, for example, greater than 500 W.

[0028] The object stated at the outset is also achieved by the features of the independent claim and thus by the above-mentioned method, which is characterized in that a plurality of ferromagnetic materials, in particular two ferromagnetic materials, are applied to, arranged on or connected to the body to be heated in at least one section or region during the manufacture of the body in such a way that the ferromagnetic materials form a common homogeneous layer, wherein at least a second of these ferromagnetic materials is different from a first of these ferromagnetic materials and the Curie temperatures of these two ferromagnetic materials in the layer differ from one another.Thus, the method also provides an arrangement with which a defined, largely constant heat output can be coupled into the body over a certain period of time in at least one adjustable temperature range by means of the heating device, without overheating the body.

[0029] An advantageous variant of this manufacturing process can involve the materials being formed into particles that are applied together or sequentially as a coating to the body to be heated. On the semi-finished body, which is yet to be finished, the materials then form, for example, a layered susceptor, which is present in a homogeneous, combined layer.

[0030] In a preferred variant of the method, the materials can be applied to the body to be heated by a coating process, in particular by cold spraying. This could, for example, allow the body to be coated with a material suitable as a susceptor, in the form of a ferritic steel or similar material. However, other coating processes can also be understood as variants of applying the materials to the body as a susceptor. These materials can also be prefabricated as elements or alloys and subsequently arranged on the body and connected to it and to each other in some way, for example, by gluing or pressing.

[0031] The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to two exemplary embodiments in the drawing. In partially schematic form, the Fig. 1 a sectional side view of a first embodiment of the arrangement according to the invention with a body to be heated with a homogeneous layer of two ferromagnetic materials arranged in one section as a susceptor; Fig. 2 a sectional side view of an arrangement known from the prior art with a body to be heated with two adjacent different layers of ferromagnetic materials arranged in one section as a susceptor.

[0032] The two drawing figures 1 and 2 each show an arrangement, designated as a whole by 1, with a body 2 to be heated, which is designed in the manner of a vessel with an upwardly open, rimmed receptacle 8. Both figures show a body 2 which forms the receiving area of ​​a cooking utensil, in the area of ​​whose edge, visible to the viewer at the top right, a connecting piece 9 for a handle part (not shown in detail) can be seen. Fig. 2 serves to better understand the invention, whereby the arrangement shown therein is known and does not fall under the protection of the independent claims.

[0033] The observer can see a heating device 3 below the body 2 of the arrangement 1, which is schematically represented by the symbol for a coil as a heating element and is arranged at a distance from the body 2. On the body 2, a flat area 11 facing the heating device 3 is designed as a susceptor 10, which also serves as a base for the body 2. In these flat areas 11 of the body 2, the susceptors 10 are each provided with ferromagnetic materials, by means of which the body 2 is able to heat a material to be heated (not shown) located in the receptacle 8.

[0034] While the susceptor 10 in the Fig. 1 has a homogeneous layer 6 with particles 7 of at least two ferromagnetic materials distributed therein, the susceptor 10 has in the Fig. 2 two layers 4, 5 of different ferromagnetic materials, arranged separately and adjacent to each other and thus connected to each other. The latter ferromagnetic materials are thus arranged in layers next to each other in the region 11.

[0035] The two ferromagnetic materials of the susceptor 10 of layer 6 in area 11 in Fig. 1 have different Curie temperatures from one another, so that the arrangement 1 is designed, by combining the two materials with different Curie temperatures, to reach a point when coupling in an induction power from the heating device 3, at which the heat loss power of the body 2 and the coupled induction power are each in equilibrium and in this way the heating power settles down and remains constant.

[0036] Accordingly, the invention described above relates to an arrangement 1 for heating bodies 2 which are provided with at least one susceptor 10, with an inductive heating device 3 provided with at least one heating element, which inductively heats the at least one susceptor 10 of the body 2 to be heated and is arranged at a distance from it, wherein the at least one susceptor 10 forms at least one region 11 or a section of the body 2 to be heated, and wherein the susceptor 10 has at least a first ferromagnetic material which at least partially converts induction power decoupled from an alternating electromagnetic field by the heating device 3 into heat power.In order to have an arrangement 1 for heating bodies 2 by means of an inductive heating device 3, which ensures that in at least one adjustable temperature range by means of the heating device 3 over a certain period of time a defined, largely constant heat output can be coupled into the body 2 without overheating it, the susceptor 10 has at least one second ferromagnetic material, different from the first, in at least one region 11 of the body 2 to be heated, and the Curie temperatures of the two ferromagnetic materials differ from one another.The ferromagnetic materials form a common homogeneous layer and when the lower of the at least two Curie temperatures is reached, the material which has this Curie temperature is no longer available to convert the power contained in the induction field into heat, while the other material which has a higher Curie temperature continues to extract power from the induction field of the heating device and produces heat.

Claims

[1] Arrangement (1) for heating bodies (2) which are provided with at least one susceptor (10), with an inductive heating device (3) provided with at least one heating element, which inductively heats the at least one susceptor (10) of the body (2) to be heated and is arranged at a distance from it, wherein the at least one susceptor (10) forms at least one region (11) of the body (2) to be heated, and wherein the susceptor (10) has at least one first ferromagnetic material which at least partially converts induction power decoupled from an alternating electromagnetic field by the heating device (2) into heat power, wherein the susceptor (10) has at least one second ferromagnetic material different from the first in at least one region (11) of the body (2) to be heated, and that the Curie temperatures of the two ferromagnetic materials differ from one another characterized bythat the ferromagnetic materials form a common homogeneous layer and that when the lower of the at least two Curie temperatures is reached, the material which has this Curie temperature is no longer available to convert the power contained in the induction field into heat, while the other material which has a higher Curie temperature continues to extract power from the induction field of the heating device and produces heat. [2] Arrangement according to claim 1, characterized by that the at least two ferromagnetic materials are each formed as cast steel, as deep-drawn steel or as a magnetizable stainless steel. [3] Arrangement according to one of the two preceding claims, characterized by that the body to be heated (2) is designed as cooking utensil for heating food, as a tool, as a medical device or as a pharmaceutical product. [4] Arrangement according to claim 3, characterized bythat the body (2) to be heated is provided as a tool of a manufacturing process, for example as part of a stamping press in an injection molding process. [5] Arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the Curie temperatures of the at least two ferromagnetic materials are matched to one another such that the Curie temperature of the at least one second ferromagnetic material is between 250°C and 300°C, while the Curie temperature of the first ferromagnetic material is between 200°C and 230°C. [6] Method for producing an arrangement (1) for heating bodies (2) by means of an inductive heating device (3) with at least one inductive heating element, in which arrangement a body (2) to be heated is provided with at least one ferromagnetic material, in particular an arrangement (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized bythat a plurality of ferromagnetic materials, in particular two ferromagnetic materials, are applied to, arranged on or connected to the body (2) to be heated in at least one section or region (11) during the manufacture of the body (2) in such a way that the ferromagnetic materials form a common homogeneous layer, wherein at least a second of these ferromagnetic materials is different from a first of these ferromagnetic materials and the Curie temperatures of these two ferromagnetic materials differ from one another in the layer. [7] Method according to claim 6, characterized by that the materials are formed in particles (7) which are applied together or successively as a coating to the body to be heated. [8] Method according to claim 6 or 7, characterized bythat the materials are applied to the body (2) to be heated by a coating process, in particular by cold gas spraying.

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