Channel Induction Furnace
Two types of induction furnaces exist. One is called a channel furnace, the other is called a coreless induction furnace. Channel induction furnaces come in many sizes and are mostly used for copper and copper alloy melting. The furnace must be sealed tight due to oxygen sensitivity.
A channel furnace has many components. The body of the vessel can be vertical or drum typed. The body is made of steel and is refractory lined, like arc furnaces. The lining protects the vessel from high temperatures and can have one or several inductors to heat the metal. Attached to the shell and connected by a throat, sits the induction unit.
The induction unit consist of an iron core, an inductor case, and an inductor coil. The induction case is made of steel and refractory lined. The iron core takes the shapes of rings around the induction coil. An induction coil is a type of electrical transformer used to produce pulses from a current. These two components together form a transformer where the heat is generated. The heat generated from the loop causes metal to circulate inside the chamber. The circulation allows the molten metal to the move from top to bottom of the furnace in a continuous cycle. Channel induction furnaces are only the first type of induction furnaces. The other is called a core less induction furnace.
