Superheated Steam Generator by Induction Heating

H. Tomita, T. Maruyama, S. Yoshimura, N. Takahashi

TOKYO DENKI UNIVERSITY
Div. of Electronic and Mechanical Engineering
Hatoyama, Saitama 350-0394 Japan
Tel.:+8l-49-296-5637
Fax:+8l-49-296-64l3
E-Mail: tomita@ f.dendai.ac.j p
URL: http://www. f. dendai.ac.jp

Keywords
«Induction heating», «Superheated steam», «Steamer», «High frequency inverter», «Food processing»

Abstract
Induction heating is an effective method for metal heating. One of the unique applications of induction
heating, there is a superheated steam generator. We propose a novel superheated steamer having both
advantages for cooling of induction coil and for warming of water in advance. In the paper, the structure
and behavior of proposed steamer driven by high frequency inverter are described, and its usefulness is
proved.

Introduction
An electromagnetic induction heating (IH) is able to generate a joule heat to metal effectively. Recently
an IH has been applied to industrial small thermal plants and home appliances, because of high thermal
efficiency, safety, cleanliness and conveniences. As one of the IH applications, a study on superheated
steam generator(SSG) has been advanced [I]. A normal SSG is need two process as shown in Fig. I. The
primary process makes IOO°C steam with boiling water. And as a secondary process, the IOO°C steam is
more heated by induction heating etc. to superheated steam of over IOO°C. There are many generating
method of superheated steam [2]. And the SSG with IH system is applied as many thermal energy
resources for cooking or sterilizing depend on the mentioned above features [2]-[5].
As shown in Fig. l , the induction coil of normal SSG is heated by the coil resistance heat with its
current and is also heated by thermal conductivity through heated metals with IH. Therefore the
temperature of induction coil is going up and the coil might be burnt. Thus the maximum temperature of
induction coil must be limited. The countermeasures against the overheated coil are to be applied a heat­
resistance material for the coil, also to be had a high ventilation coil or air conditioning to the coil. But,
these methods are difficult to realize because of taking increased cost and complex structure. And a
normal SSG needs a boiler of water and a generating unit of superheated steam individually. Therefore, a
SSG will causes large-scale system and high consumption of electric power. So we are studying to realize
downsizing and low power SSG. In this paper, we'd like to propose a novel cooling method of induction
coil with inserted water hose along the coil and also saving a boiler of water with an alternative water
reservoir. This paper deals with the structure and experiment of the novel SSG, and the usefulness of
proposed SSG are proved.
Cooling Method of Induction Coil
The schematic diagram for system structure of the proposed SSG is shown in Fig. 2. In this study, the
cylindrical quartz glass tube having high heat-resistance for heated steam path is applied. As shown in
Fig.3, inside of the quartz glass tube is enclosed the hot water reservoir and the magnetism stainless steel

\
disks as heated target with IH. But the quartz glass tube isn't heated by IH because of none magnetism.

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Superheated steam b (output of superheated steam)
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steam steam
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superheated steam
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a (input of hot water)
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quartz glass tube """
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Fig. 1: Process for superheated steam. Fig.2: Schematic diagram of SSG system.

Fig.3: Inside of quartz glass tube. FigA: Insulated cooling hose of SVG.

(a) Heated disk. (b) Stacked disks.

Fig. S: Cylindrical quartz glass tube. Fig.6: Stainless steel disk and stack.

And as shown in FigA, a ceramic cylinder covers outside of the quartz glass tube as heat insulator, also
an insulated cooling hose is wound around the ceramic insulator. The cooling hose brings a greatest result
in the proposed SSG. The water in cooling hose runs through a pump from water tank. Then the water
arrives to the entrance of quartz glass tube. Incidentally the insulated cooling hose is used silicon flexible
tube in this experiment. An electrical induction coil is also wound around the insulated cooling hose.
Normally the induction coil is used an electric Litz wire. Thus cooling method of induction coil was a big
problem of SSG, but it solved with applying the cooling hose. The induction coil is also connected to the
high-freq uency inverter.
In the structure of mentioned above, the cooling effect is explained. The stainless steels as heating
target in the quartz glass tube are sharply heated up by IH. So the heated stainless steels will touche to
flowing steam in the glass tube, and the steam will be superheated gradually. However in the same time, a
part of the heating energy in the glass tube conducts to outer induction coil through ceramic insulator
gradually. Naturally the electric heat energy depend on the coil resistance will be also caused by coil
current. But the protection of those heat conduction is difficult problem. Therefore our proposed cooling
water hose is very usefulness. Since the water in cooling hose is warmed or boiled by those waste heat
energy in advance, the conventional boiler of water will be unnecessary.

Design of Heated disk

The inside of the quartz glass tube is observed in Fig. 5. The experimented magnetism stainless steel
disks as heated target are shown in Fig.6. The measurements of disk are, diameter: 85mm, thickness:
0.1 mm in circle. And these are stacked by 4 1-disks with interval of 4mm each. The disks are also opened
a 20mm hole for steam path, and are perpendicular to cylindrical induction coil for generating the
appropriate eddy currents in the disks. Then the disks are become to high temperature by joule heat
depend on induced eddy currents, the steam in glass tube would be touched to heated steel disks and the
steam temperature is going up gradually.
Next, a thermal analysis in the one peace of trial heated disk with no steam is performed by finite
element method(FEM) and experimented. In the analysis, 3D simulation program with "ANSYS Ver. 11.0
(Academic Teaching Introductory)" is operated. The distributions of eddy currents, heating energies by
eddy currents in the disk are calculated and shown Fig.7. And the experiment on IH to the trialed heating
steel is performed with same analyzed condition, as shown Fig.8. An input condition to the coil in analysis
and experiment is as follows; number of turns in induction coil: 68, frequency, current, voltage, power
factor and power in induction coil with one peace steel load: 20kHz, 15.07A, 48V, 13.7% and 99W. From
analysis and experiment data, it is understood that the large eddy currents rotate outside of circle in steel
and the heating energies in its neighborhood are large too. It is also proved by the experimented thermal
distribution. Especially the thermal distribution in air hole nearby is highest. But study on the size and
number of hole for effective heating is continuing at present. Incidentally study on the shape of hole is
also important.

Low High 110 230 350

(a) Eddy-current vectors. (b) Heating energies. Fig.8: Experiment on IH of stainless

Fig.7: Thermal analysis of stainless steel disk. steel disk with thermo-graph.

TreCluencv inverter

E
20DV

Fig.9: Prototypical whole system. Fig.10: Full-bridge inverter circuit.

Experiment and Result

An experiment on the prototype system in Fig.9 is performed. The leading specification of the
system is listed again as follows; diameter of insulated cooling hose: 4mm, number of turns of polymer
pipe: 27, diameter of circle steel disk: 85mm, number of disks: 4 1, the flowing speed of water:
25ml/minute, number of coil turns: 68, width of water reservoir: 7 2mm, diameter of water reservoir:
76mm.
Fig. IO shows an experimented full-bridge inverter with 20kHz, and the source voltage of the inverter is
uncontrollable a rectified DC voltage. The inverter frequency is decided by maximum switching
frequency of using IGBT. The inverter output current of 20kHz, that is, the induction coil current is
determined with appropriate series resonance condenser. In this experiment, its current is 14A, and the
temperatures of input water and superheated steam in outlet are measured with considering coil's
temperatures. One of the experimented data is shown in Fig. l l . The temperature of output steam is
confirmed over 300°C, moreover the coil's that are 100°C or less. And also at the after of 680-second, the
a-point's output water in the cooling hose in Fig. 2 arrives to 100°C steam depend upon waste heating
energy. Therefore the temperature of coil is confirmed under 100°C. This is the remarkable outcome of the
installed cooling hose.

b: superheated steam

e: coil c: coil a: input water

times[s]

Fig. 1 1: Heating characteristics on proposed SSG.

Conclusion
We proposed a novel superheated steam generator system depend on TH. There are two outcomes in the
study, that is, the installed cooling hose for protection of overheating in induction coil and the water
reservoir in the cylindrical quart glass for saving a second water boiler. These outcomes will bring a cost
down of SSG. And we designed the prototype of proposed SSG, and experimented by the trialed system.
From the experimented data, it was confirmed that a proposed SSG system was effectiveness. Furthermore,
we combined to one unit steamer system to realize downsizing and cost down of SSG.

References
[1]T.Maruyama, H.Tomita, S.Yoshimura, "Superheated vapor generator by induction heating, MECATRONICS
2008, #178, May 2008, France.

[2] http://www.econos.co.jp/english/products.html#2

[3] G.Rodriguez, J. Vasseur, F.Courtois, "Design and control of drum dryers for the food industry. Partl. Set-up of a
moisture sensor and an inductive heater", Journal of Food Engineering, Vo1.28, Issues 3-4, pp.271 -282, 1 996.

[4] O.Yamada, "Generation of hydrogen gas by reforming biomass with superheated steam", Thin Solid Films,
Vo1.509, Issues 1-2, pp.207-211, 2006.

[5] A.S.Mujumdar, L.X.Huang, "Global R&D needs in drying", Drying Technology, Vo1.25, pp.647-658, 2007.