Optimization of Stationary and Transitional Operating Modes of the Electrical Complex in Metal Processing Line

Abstract

In the electrical complex “induction heater - deforming equipment”, the limiting performance of the complex is the induction heating unit. In this regard, an important task of increasing the effi ciency of the processing complex is to optimize both the design and operating parameters of the induction heating unit. It is shown that the main design parameter infl uencing the energy characteristics of the complex is the length of the heating system. When optimizing the total length of the heater, an iterative model of the process of induction heating of ferromagnetic billets is used. The power distribution algorithm along the length of a two-section heater is a piecewise continuous function. Optimization of the heater length according to the proposed method made it possible to reduce the heater length from 2.8 m to 2.1 m, i.e. by 25%. To search for eff ective control algorithms for non-stationary modes, a refi ned electrothermal model is proposed in the work. It takes into account the nonlinear dependence of the distribution of the power of the sources of internal heat release on the temperature distribution in the metal of the workpieces along the radial and axial coordinates. The problem of fi nding the optimal control of transient modes of a two-section induction heater of methodical action is formulated and solved. The results obtained provide a minimum of energy consumption for heating billets in transient modes under conditions of technological and energy constraints. Variants of starting the heater at various initial temperature states of the load are considered. The results of a comparative analysis of the eff ectiveness of the obtained control algorithms are presented. The structure of the power supply and control system of the induction heating complex is proposed.