Electromagnetic induction heating device

The electromagnetic induction heating device addresses the issue of uneven current distribution across heating coils by using a circuit configuration with a DC power source, inverter circuit, and controlled switching elements, resulting in efficient and balanced current flow and improved heating efficiency.

JP7657095B2Active Publication Date: 2025-04-04HITACHI GLOBAL LIFE SOLUTIONS INC
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Patent Information

Application Number
JP2021082435
Authority / Receiving Office
JP · JP
Patent Type
Patents
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2021-05-14
Publication Date
2025-04-04
Estimated Expiration
2041-05-14

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Conventional inverter-type electromagnetic induction heating devices face reduced heating efficiency due to uneven current distribution across heating coils, which is affected by variations in the equivalent impedance including the resistance of the heating coil and the object being heated.

Method used

The electromagnetic induction heating device employs a circuit configuration with a DC power source, an inverter circuit, and multiple heating coils. The inverter circuit is connected between the positive and negative electrodes of the DC power source and includes a series of switching elements, power supply capacitors, and resonant capacitors. This configuration allows for proper control of switching elements to achieve current resonance and equalize currents across multiple heating coils.

Benefits of technology

This configuration ensures that currents across multiple heating coils are equalized, even when the equivalent impedance varies, thereby efficiently supplying desired power to the heating object, enhancing heating efficiency.

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Abstract

To provide an electromagnetic induction heating device of an inverter type in which electric currents flowing in a plurality of coils are equalized, and which therefore can highly efficiently supply desired electric power to a heating-target substance.SOLUTION: An electromagnetic induction heating device is provided, comprising: a DC power source 1 which outputs DC voltage; an inverter 2 which converts the DC voltage to AC voltage; and heating coils 11, 12 and 13 which perform induction heating of a heating-target substance by using the AC voltage. The inverter comprises a switching element serial body which is provided between a positive electrode P and a negative electrode N of the DC power source and in which three or more switching elements are serially connected to each other. A first serial body in which a first switching element, a first heating coil and a first resonance capacitor are serially connected to each other and a second serial body in which the first switching element, a second switching element, a first power source capacitor, a second heating coil, and a second resonance capacitor are serially connected to each other are connected to the negative electrode. The first switching element and the second switching element are included in the switching element serial body.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1
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Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an inverter type electromagnetic induction heating device that supplies a desired amount of power to an object to be heated to perform induction heating. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, inverter-type electromagnetic induction heating devices that heat objects such as pots without using fire have come into widespread use. An electromagnetic induction heating device passes a high-frequency current through a heating coil, generating eddy currents in a metal object to be heated (such as a pot) placed close to the heating coil, causing the object to generate heat due to the electrical resistance of the object itself.

[0003] An example of a conventional device capable of heating when two heating coils are provided is the electromagnetic induction heating device disclosed in Patent Document 1. This electromagnetic induction heating device has three semiconductor switches (Fig. 1 in the same document, symbols Q1a, Q1b, and Q1c) connected in series to a DC power source, and when it is desired to heat by passing currents of the same phase through the two heating coils (Fig. 1 in the same document, symbols 6 and 7), Q1b is always on and Q1a and Q1c are alternately turned on and off (Fig. 3 in the same document) for induction heating, and when it is desired to heat by passing currents of opposite phases through the two heating coils, Q1b is exclusively turned on and off (Fig. 24 in the same document) for induction heating while Q1a and Q1c are turned on and off synchronously. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2014 / 064932 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In Patent Document 1, when the equivalent impedance including the resistance of the heating coil and the object to be heated differs depending on the magnetic coupling state between the heating coil and the object to be heated (for example, when the material or position of the object to be heated differs), the magnitude of the current flowing through the two heating coils is determined by their respective equivalent impedances, so the coil currents are not equal and the heating efficiency decreases.

[0006] The object of the present invention is to address the above-mentioned problems and to provide an inverter-type electromagnetic induction heating device that can equalize the current flowing through multiple heating coils and efficiently supply the desired power to the heated object, even when the equivalent impedance including the resistance of the heating coils and the heated object is different. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the electromagnetic induction heating device of the present invention is an electromagnetic induction heating device comprising a DC power supply that outputs a DC voltage, an inverter circuit that converts the DC voltage into an AC voltage, and a heating coil that induction heats an object to be heated using the AC voltage, wherein the inverter circuit comprises a switching element series body in which three or more switching elements are connected in series and is provided between a positive electrode and a negative electrode of the DC power supply, and a first series body in which a first switching element, a first heating coil, and a first resonant capacitor are connected in series to the negative electrode, and a second series body in which the first switching element, a second switching element, a first power supply capacitor, a second heating coil, and a second resonant capacitor are connected in series, and the first switching element and the second switching element are included in the switching element series body. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the electromagnetic induction heating device of the present invention, even if the equivalent impedance including the resistance of the heating coils and the object to be heated is different, the current of multiple heating coils can be equalized and the desired power can be efficiently supplied to the object to be heated. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram of an electromagnetic induction heating device according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] 4 is an operational waveform of the electromagnetic induction heating device of the first embodiment. [Figure 3A] 4 shows a current path in mode a of the first embodiment. [Figure 3B] 4 shows a current path in mode b of the first embodiment. [Figure 3C] 4 shows a current path in mode c in the first embodiment. [Figure 3D] 4 shows a current path in mode d in the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 11 is a circuit diagram of an electromagnetic induction heating device according to a second embodiment. [Diagram 5] 6 is an operational waveform of the electromagnetic induction heating device of the second embodiment. [Figure 6] 6 is an operational waveform of the electromagnetic induction heating device of the second embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a circuit diagram of an electromagnetic induction heating device according to a third embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a circuit diagram of an electromagnetic induction heating device according to a third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, the same reference numerals indicate the same components or components having similar functions, and duplicated explanations will be omitted as appropriate. EXAMPLES

[0011] First, an electromagnetic induction heating device according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 3D. Note that the electromagnetic induction heating device of this embodiment has a top plate made of heat-resistant glass placed on top of a metal housing, and a high-frequency current is supplied to a heating coil placed below the top plate to induction heat a metal object to be heated placed at a predetermined position on the top surface of the top plate, but a description of such a well-known configuration will be omitted below.

[0012] FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram of an electromagnetic induction heating device of Example 1. In FIG. 1, a DC power supply 1 is a power supply that rectifies an AC voltage supplied from a commercial AC power supply of 200V or 100V and outputs a DC voltage. Four power semiconductor switching elements (hereinafter simply referred to as "switching elements") 5a, 5c, 5e, and 5f are connected in series between a positive electrode P and a negative electrode N of this DC power supply 1. Diodes 6a, 6c, 6e, and 6f are connected in parallel in the opposite direction to the switching elements 5a, 5c, 5e, and 5f, respectively. Note that, although FIG. 1 illustrates a configuration in which four switching elements are connected in series, the present invention can be applied to any electromagnetic induction heating device in which a series body of three or more switching elements is arranged between a positive electrode P and a negative electrode N.

[0013] Here, the connection point of switching elements 5a, 5c is referred to as output terminal A, the connection point of switching elements 5c, 5e is referred to as output terminal C, and the connection point of switching elements 5e, 5f is referred to as output terminal E.

[0014] 1, one end of power supply capacitor 31 is connected to output terminal A, and a series circuit of heating coil 11 and resonant capacitor 21 is connected between the other end of power supply capacitor 31 and the negative electrode N of DC power supply 1. This configuration can also be considered as a series circuit of switching elements 5f, 5e, 5c, power supply capacitor 31, heating coil 11, and resonant capacitor 21 being connected to the negative electrode N. Note that there is no problem if the connection order of heating coil 11 and resonant capacitor 21 is reversed.

[0015] Furthermore, one end of power supply capacitor 32 is connected to output terminal C, and a series connection of heating coil 12 and resonant capacitor 22 is connected between the other end of power supply capacitor 32 and the negative electrode N of DC power supply 1. This configuration can also be regarded as a series connection of switching elements 5f, 5e, power supply capacitor 32, heating coil 12, and resonant capacitor 22 being connected to the negative electrode N. Note that there is no problem if the connection order of heating coil 12 and resonant capacitor 22 is reversed.

[0016] Furthermore, a series connection of the heating coil 13 and the resonant capacitor 23 is connected between the output terminal E and the negative electrode N of the DC power supply 1. This configuration can also be regarded as a series connection of the switching element 5f, the heating coil 13, and the resonant capacitor 23 being connected to the negative electrode N. Note that there is no problem if the connection order of the heating coil 13 and the resonant capacitor 23 is reversed.

[0017] In the electromagnetic induction heating device having the circuit configuration described above, a current resonant inverter that flows current evenly through the heating coils 11 to 13 can be realized by appropriately turning on and off the switching elements 5a, 5c, 5e, and 5f.

[0018] Next, a specific method for controlling each switching element included in the electromagnetic induction heating device of this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 2 and Fig. 3A to Fig. 3D. 11 , i 12 , i 13 The direction of the dashed arrow in FIG. 1 is taken as the positive direction.

[0019] FIG. 2 shows the operating waveforms of each part, from top to bottom: (a) the gate drive signal vg 5a ~vg 5f , (b) Current i in each heating coil 11 , i 12 , i 13 , (c) Current i of each switching element and each diode 5a ~i 5f , i 6a ~i 6f It is.

[0020] The four operation modes a to d shown in the lower part of Fig. 2 are defined by the on / off of the switching elements 5a to 5f. The current path in each operation mode will be described below with reference to Figs. 3A to 3D.

[0021] <Mode a> 3A, during a period when switching elements 5a and 5e are on and switching elements 5c and 5f are off, a current flows from DC power supply 1 through switching element 5a, power supply capacitor 31, heating coil 11, and resonant capacitor 21. This current causes charge to accumulate in power supply capacitor 31. Note that power supply capacitor 31 has a capacity equal to or greater than resonant capacitor 21 and can accumulate a charge equal to or greater than that of resonant capacitor 21. Also, with power supply capacitor 32 charged in mode c, which will be described later, as a voltage source, a current flows through the path of switching element 5e, heating coil 13, resonant capacitor 23, resonant capacitor 22, and heating coil 12.

[0022] <Mode b> Next, when switching elements 5a and 5e are turned off and switching elements 5c and 5f are turned on, as shown in Fig. 3B, the stored energy in heating coil 11 and heating coil 12 causes a current to circulate through the path of heating coil 11, resonant capacitor 21, resonant capacitor 22, heating coil 12, power supply capacitor 32, diode 6c, and power supply capacitor 31. Also, the stored energy in heating coil 13 causes a current to circulate through the path of heating coil 13, resonant capacitor 23, and diode 6f.

[0023] Here, by turning on the switching elements 5c and 5f during the period when current flows through the diodes 6c and 6f, a zero voltage switching operation is performed, enabling a soft switching operation with less switching loss.

[0024] <Mode c> When the stored energy in heating coil 11 and heating coil 12 becomes zero, as shown in Fig. 3C, current flows through the path of switching element 5c, power supply capacitor 32, heating coil 12, resonant capacitor 22, resonant capacitor 21, and heating coil 11, with power supply capacitor 31 as the voltage source, and the current in heating coil 11 and heating coil 12 switches to the negative direction. This mode c causes the charge in power supply capacitor 31 to move to power supply capacitor 32. Note that power supply capacitor 32 has a capacity equal to or greater than that of resonant capacitor 22, and can store a charge equal to or greater than that of resonant capacitor 22. In addition, when the stored energy in heating coil 13 becomes zero, current flows through the path from resonant capacitor 23 to heating coil 13 and switching element 5f, and the current in heating coil 13 also switches to the negative direction.

[0025] <mode d> Next, when switching elements 5c and 5f are turned off and switching elements 5a and 5e are turned on, as shown in Fig. 3D, the stored energy in heating coil 11 causes a current to circulate through the path of heating coil 11, power supply capacitor 31, diode 6a, and DC power supply 1. Also, the stored energy in heating coils 12 and 13 causes a current to circulate through the path of heating coil 12, resonant capacitor 22, resonant capacitor 23, heating coil 13, diode 6e, and power supply capacitor 32.

[0026] Here, by turning on the switching elements 5a and 5e during the period when current flows through the diodes 6a and 6e, a zero voltage switching operation is performed, enabling a soft switching operation with less switching loss.

[0027] When the stored energy in the heating coils 11 to 13 becomes zero, the mode changes to mode a, and the current in the heating coils 11 to 13 switches to the positive direction.

[0028] By repeating the above modes a to d, in mode a, the current flowing through the heating coil 11 charges the resonant capacitor 21 and the power supply capacitor 31, in mode c, the current flowing through the heating coil 12 using the power supply capacitor 31 as the power supply charges the resonant capacitor 22 and the power supply capacitor 32, and in mode a, the current flowing through the heating coil 13 using the power supply capacitor 32 as the power supply charges the resonant capacitor 23. In this way, by using the power supply capacitor 31 and the power supply capacitor 32, current flows through the heating coils 11 to 13 while the charge amounts of the power supply capacitors 31 and 32 are preserved. As a result, even if the equivalent impedances including the resistances of the heating coil and the heated object are different, the currents of the heating coils 11 to 13 are naturally balanced without applying special control. Note that the currents of the heating coils 11 to 13 can be balanced even in a configuration in which the resonant capacitors 21 and 22 are omitted, but the withstand voltage can be improved by separately providing the resonant capacitor and the power supply capacitor and connecting them in series.

[0029] As described above, according to the electromagnetic induction heating device of this embodiment, even if the equivalent impedance including the resistance of the heating coils and the object to be heated is different, the current of multiple heating coils can be equalized and the desired power can be efficiently supplied to the object to be heated. EXAMPLES

[0030] Second Embodiment Next, an electromagnetic induction heating device according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 4 to Fig. 6. Note that a duplicated description of points common to the first embodiment will be omitted.

[0031] The circuit configuration of this embodiment shown in Fig. 4 is roughly the same as that of the embodiment 1 shown in Fig. 1, except that two parallel switching elements (switching elements 5b, 5d) are added to the circuit configuration. In Fig. 4, if the connection point between the power supply capacitor 31 and the heating coil 11 is referred to as output terminal B, then switching element 5b is connected between the output terminal B and the negative electrode N of the DC power supply 1. If the connection point between the power supply capacitor 32 and the heating coil 12 is referred to as output terminal D, then switching element 5d is connected between the output terminal D and the negative electrode N of the DC power supply 1. Diodes 6b, 6d are connected in parallel in the opposite directions to the switching elements 5b, 5d, respectively.

[0032] In this embodiment, the added switching element 5b turns on and off in a complementary manner with the switching element 5a, and the added switching element 5d turns on and off in a complementary manner with the switching element 5c. As a result, the switching elements 5a and 5b, the power supply capacitor 31, the heating coil 11, and the resonant capacitor 21 constitute a first-stage inverter, the switching elements 5c and 5d, the power supply capacitor 32, the heating coil 12, and the resonant capacitor 22 constitute a second-stage inverter, and the switching elements 5e and 5f, the heating coil 13, and the resonant capacitor 23 constitute a third-stage inverter. Below, the characteristic current paths of the modes a and c are described as an example of how to use each inverter.

[0033] 3A, in mode a of the first embodiment, current flows through the path of switching element 5e, heating coil 13, resonant capacitor 23, resonant capacitor 22, and heating coil 12, with power supply capacitor 32 as the voltage source, but in mode a of the present embodiment, switching element 5d, which turns on and off complementarily to switching element 5c, is turned on, so that current flows through the path of switching element 5e, heating coil 13, resonant capacitor 23, and switching element 5d, with power supply capacitor 32 as the voltage source, that is, a path that avoids heating coil 12. In this way, a current path that does not supply power from power supply capacitor 32 to heating coil 12 can be formed.

[0034] 3C, in mode c of the first embodiment, current flows through the path of switching element 5c, power supply capacitor 32, heating coil 12, resonant capacitor 22, resonant capacitor 21, and heating coil 11, with power supply capacitor 31 as the voltage source, but in mode c of the present embodiment, switching element 5b, which turns on and off complementarily to switching element 5a, is turned on, so that current flows through the path of switching element 5c, power supply capacitor 32, heating coil 12, and resonant capacitor 22, with power supply capacitor 31 as the voltage source, that is, a path that avoids heating coil 11. In this way, a current path that does not supply power from power supply capacitor 31 to heating coil 11 can be formed.

[0035] FIG. 5 shows the operating waveforms of each part, from top to bottom: (a) the gate drive signal vg 5a ~vg 5f , (b) Current i in each heating coil 11 , i 12 , i 13 , (c) Current i of each switching element and each diode 5a ~i 5f , i 6a ~i 6f It is.

[0036] In FIG. 5, by shifting the timing at which switching elements 5a, 5c, and 5e are turned on by 120 degrees each within a switching period, it is possible to balance the currents while shifting the current phases of heating coils 11 to 13 by 120 degrees each.

[0037] If the number of inverter stages is increased from three to four, the phase of the heating coil current can be shifted by shifting it by 90 degrees in a similar manner. In this way, the object to be heated can be heated evenly by balancing the current while shifting the current phase of multiple heating coils.

[0038] In the electromagnetic induction heating device of Example 2, when the currents in heating coils 11 to 13 are made to flow in the same phase without shifting the phase of the heating coil currents, it is sufficient to synchronize the timing at which switching elements 5a, 5d, and 5e are turned on, as shown in Figure 6. EXAMPLES

[0039] 7 and 8 are circuit configuration diagrams of an electromagnetic induction heating device according to Example 3. A duplicated description of points common to Examples 1 and 2 will be omitted.

[0040] The electromagnetic induction heating device shown in FIG. 7 is roughly the same as that of Example 1 shown in FIG. 1, except that the heating coil and resonant capacitor are moved to the positive electrode P side of DC power supply 1, and the current phase of each heating coil is controlled by driving switching elements 5a, 5c, 5e, and 5f in the same manner as in Example 1.

[0041] Similarly, the electromagnetic induction heating device shown in FIG. 8 is roughly the same as that of Example 2 shown in FIG. 4, except that the heating coil and resonant capacitor are moved to the positive electrode P side of DC power supply 1, and the current phase of each heating coil is controlled by driving switching elements 5a to 5f in the same manner as in Example 2.

[0042] Even if the electromagnetic induction heating device is configured as shown in FIG. 7 or FIG. 8, the same effects as those of the first and second embodiments can be obtained. [Explanation of symbols]

[0043] 1 DC power supply, 2 inverters, 5 switching elements, 6 diodes, 11-13 heating coil, 21-23 Resonant capacitors, 31, 32 Power supply capacitor

Claims

1. A DC power supply that outputs a DC voltage; an inverter circuit that converts the DC voltage into an AC voltage; A heating coil that uses the AC voltage to inductively heat an object to be heated; An electromagnetic induction heating device comprising: the inverter circuit includes a switching element series body having three or more switching elements connected in series, the switching element series body being provided between a positive electrode and a negative electrode of the DC power supply, The negative electrode has a first circuit in which a first switching element, a first heating coil, and a first resonant capacitor are connected in a ring; a second circuit in which the first switching element, the second switching element, a first power supply capacitor, a second heating coil, and a second resonant capacitor are connected in a ring; is connected, The electromagnetic induction heating device, wherein the first switching element and the second switching element are included in the switching element series body.

2. A DC power supply that outputs a DC voltage; an inverter circuit that converts the DC voltage into an AC voltage; A heating coil that uses the AC voltage to inductively heat an object to be heated; An electromagnetic induction heating device comprising: the inverter circuit includes a switching element series body having three or more switching elements connected in series, the switching element series body being provided between a positive electrode and a negative electrode of the DC power supply, The positive electrode includes: a first circuit in which a first switching element, a first heating coil, and a first resonant capacitor are connected in a ring; a second circuit in which the first switching element, the second switching element, a first power supply capacitor, a second heating coil, and a second resonant capacitor are connected in a ring; is connected, The electromagnetic induction heating device, wherein the first switching element and the second switching element are included in the switching element series body.

3. 3. The electromagnetic induction heating device according to claim 1, An electromagnetic induction heating device characterized in that, during a period in which the first switching element is turned off and the second switching element is turned on, a current flows through a path of the second switching element, the first heating coil, the first resonant capacitor, the second resonant capacitor, and the second heating coil, with the first power supply capacitor as a voltage source.

4. 3. The electromagnetic induction heating device according to claim 1, An electromagnetic induction heating device, characterized in that a first parallel switching element is connected in parallel to the second heating coil and the second resonant capacitor.

5. 2. The electromagnetic induction heating device according to claim 1, An electromagnetic induction heating device characterized in that a third circuit in which the first switching element, the second switching element, the third switching element, a second power supply capacitor, a third heating coil, and a third resonant capacitor are connected in a ring shape to the negative electrode, and the third switching element is included in the switching element series.

6. 3. The electromagnetic induction heating device according to claim 2, An electromagnetic induction heating device characterized in that a third circuit in which the first switching element, the second switching element, the third switching element, a second power supply capacitor, a third heating coil, and a third resonant capacitor are connected in a ring shape to the positive electrode, and the third switching element is included in the switching element series.

7. 7. The electromagnetic induction heating device according to claim 5, an electromagnetic induction heating device characterized in that, during a period in which the second switching element is turned off and the third switching element is turned on, a current flows through a path of the third switching element, the first power supply capacitor, the second heating coil, the second resonant capacitor, the third resonant capacitor, and the third heating coil, with the second power supply capacitor as a voltage source.

8. 7. The electromagnetic induction heating device according to claim 5, An electromagnetic induction heating device, characterized in that a second parallel switching element is connected in parallel to the third heating coil and the third resonant capacitor.

Citation Information

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