Simulation on Temperature in Channel of Three-Phase Induction Channel Furnace for Steel Melting Using COMSOL Multiphysics and Taguchi Method

Induction channel furnaces (ICF) are widely used for melting, holding and casting metals and alloys in many processing industries because it has higher overall efficiency, lower electric power consumption and operation costs, better degassing and homogenization of the melt, lower oxide and slag formation than other induction furnaces. However, thermal stresses in the refractory lining caused by high temperature and flow of molten metal may cause its premature erosion of the lining and, failure of the inductor, and so it has difficulty to repair the furnace. In addition, the furnace for steel melting often experiencing shortened operating life and quicker needs for a repair cycle due to high temperature of molten metal and severe erosion of lining, so it is little used. In this paper, we propose a new type of channel of three-phase ICF for steel melting, and study temperature distribution of the channel by coupled simulation for the electromagnetic-heat-fluid using COMSOL Multiphysics 5.4 and Taguchi method. Simulation result demonstrates that maximum local superheating temperature (28.6K) of channel in the three-phase ICF for steel melting is as low as that (27K) of blowing channel in the two phase ICF, so it can be satisfactorily employed for steel melting.