| CPC H05B 6/06 (2013.01) [F27D 11/06 (2013.01); H05B 6/42 (2013.01)] | 20 Claims |
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1. An induction furnace system with an electrically separable coil system, comprising:
a furnace volume;
an induction coil system for inductively heating and melting an electrically conductive material placed within the furnace volume, the induction coil system comprising:
at least one active induction circuit comprising:
an active induction coil having two or more active coil terminals, the active induction coil surrounding a partial section of the furnace volume;
a power supply having an input adapted to be connected to a source of power external to the induction furnace system and a primary ground leak detection system adapted to detect a ground fault in the at least one active induction circuit;
wherein an AC output of the power supply is operably connected to the two or more active coil terminals via one or more water-cooled conductors per active coil terminal;
at least one passive induction circuit comprising:
a passive induction coil having two or more passive coil terminals, the passive induction coil surrounding a subsequent partial section of the furnace volume;
one or more parallel capacitors operably connected to the two or more passive coil terminals defining an L-C tank circuit;
wherein the at least one active induction circuit is positioned relative to the at least one passive induction circuit such that the active induction coil magnetically couples to the passive induction coil when an AC current flows through the active induction coil;
a separable electrical connection electrically coupling the at least one active induction circuit to the at least one passive induction circuit when connected therebetween, and electrically isolating the at least one active induction circuit from the at least one passive induction circuit when disconnected therefrom; and
wherein a terminal connector of each of the one or more water-cooled conductors are identical and interchangeable, such that the power supply and the one or more parallel capacitors can be exchanged between the active induction coil and the passive induction coil, defining a new active induction circuit and a new passive induction circuit, respectively.
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