PIERS Proceedings, Beijing, China, March 2327, 2009

334

Simulation of Induction Cookers with Different Structure and

Material Parameters by the Finite Element Software
Li Hao, Yueqin Dun, and Jiansheng Yuan
State Key Lab of Power Systems, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China

Abstract In this paper, the electric power and the efficiency of induction cookers, concerning
with different electrical and structure parameter, are simulated by the finite element software.
The parameters include the frequency of exciting current, different material and thickness of the
pan, different height between the coil and the bottom of the pan, as well as different material and
thickness of the ferrite disc. Meanwhile, the effect of adjusting some parameters has been measured. The experimental and the computational results are in good agreement. By the simulation,
the efficiency of induction cookers against the frequency of exciting current, the permeability and
the conductivity of the pan, and the thickness of the pan is obtained. The parameters which may
provide the highest efficiency are suggested. The electromagnetic environment is also analyzed
around the cookers, based on the electromagnetic field restriction standard.
1. INTRODUCTION

An induction cooker is usually made up of a flat-type spiral coil, on which the pan to be heated is
placed. Beneath the coil a ferrite disc is placed to obtain strong magnetic field. The basic principle
of induction cooking is electromagnetic induction law and the eddy current loss.
The eddy current loss is of non-linear relationships with the electrical and structure parameters.
Generally, it is not easy to obtain the quantitative influence with the eddy current loss by the
parameters. Many works have been done on the study of induction heating [13]. In this paper
we employ the software for electromagnetic field numerical calculation to simulate the induction
cookers.
2. ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELDS ANALYSIS OF INDUCTION COOKER BY FINITE
ELEMENT SOFTWARE ANSOFT

Model of induction cooker is established by American finite element electromagnetic field computation software Ansoft. The model is 2D and axisymmetric. By numerical calculation, the
distribution of eddy current induced in the pan and the distribution of magnetic field intensity are
get, as showed in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2.

Figure 1: Eddy current induced in the pan.

Figure 2: Magnetic field intensity obtained with ansoft.

RRR
RRR
2
2
Then Peddy =
V |Jc | /dV , and Q =
V |H| /dV , where Peddy is eddy current loss, and
Q is reactive power, is the conductivity of the pan, Jc is eddy current induced in the pan.

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335

3. EQUIVALENT CIRCUIT OF INDUCTION COOKER

The coupling between the coil and the pan is modeled as the series connection of an inductor and a
resistor, based on the transformer analogy. Fig. 4 shows the equivalent circuit of induction cooker.
The coil of induction cooker is equivalent to the source side of transformer, and the pan is equivalent
to the vice side of transformer. In Fig. 3(a), R1 is resistance of the coil, L1 is inductance of the
coil, R2 is resistance of the pan, L2 is inductance of the pan, M is mutual inductance between the
pan and the coil.
The equivalent circuit from the power source end looked is showed in Fig. 3(b). Z11 is impedance
of the coil, Z12 is the pans impedance converted into to the source side, their expressions are as
follows: Z11 = R1 + jL1 , Z12 = R12 + jL12 , R12 = 2 M 2 R2 /(R22 + X22 ), X12 = 2 M 2 X2 /(R22 +
X22 ).

(a)

(b)

Figure 3: (a) Equivalent circuit of induction Cooker. (b) Equivalent circuit from the power source end
looked.

Although the voltage of power source will be different against the pans parameters, in the
analysis and calculation of power, the source should be regarded as a constant voltage source or a
voltage source with small interface resistance and not as constant current source. That is because
the current has a very big change along with the pans parameter and the operating frequency.
By the analysis of the circuit, we can see that at a certain voltage U , P = U 2 R/(R2 + X 2 ),
Q = U 2 X/(R2 + X 2 ), where, R = R11 + R12 , X = X11 + X12 , P is the total active power and Q is
the total reactive power. Peddy = U 2 R12 /(R2 + X 2 ), ef f = R12 /(R12 + R1 ), where Peddy is power
of the pan, ef f is efficiency.
4. COMPUTED RESULTS AND ANALYSIS OF POWER AND EFFICIENCY

The main factors which impact eddy current loss and efficiency includes: the load frequency f ,
material of the pan (permeability and conductivity), thickness of the pan, thickness of the ferrite
disc and height between the bottom of the pan and the coil. The power (eddy current loss) and
efficiency (without regarding to the loss of the circuit) have been calculated along with the variation
of these parameters using Ansoft. Some of the computed results and analysis are listed as follows.
In the following computed result, if there isnt a particular note, size of the structure are as
showed in Fig 4: thickness of the pan is 0.5 mm, thickness of the ferrite disc is 2 mm, height
between the bottom of the pan and the coil is 14 mm, height between the ferrite disc and the coil
is 1 mm. The magnitude of current density of the coil is set as 2.829e5 A/m2 .

Figure 4: Model size of induction cooker.

Table 1 is about the results along with the change of frequency. From Table 1, we can see that:
(1) efficiency has a maximum value when the frequency is about 28 kHz, but the change is very

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336

small, only differs 0.2% between 15 kHz and 40 kHz, (2) when voltage is a constant, Peddy and Q
reduce monotonously and quickly.
Table 1: Along with the change of frequency.
f (Hz)

ef f (%)

Peddy (W )

Q(W )

R12 ()

X()

R1 ()

1k

54.16

3596

46411

0.079

1.02

0.067

5k

93.90

2497

10377

1.053

4.38

0.068

10 k

96.81

1825

6060

2.191

7.28

0.072

15 k

97.45

1360

4487

2.987

9.84

0.078

20 k

97.63

1041

3640

3.505

12.25

0.085

25 k

97.65

808

3083

3.842

14.65

0.092

27.9 k

97.66

700

2827

3.985

16.09

0.095

35 k

97.54

513

2367

4.223

19.49

0.107

50 k

97.29

290

1747

4.478

26.91

0.125

100 k

96.54

82

915

4.712

52.49

0.169

200 k

95.42

22

465

4.806

103.72

0.23

Table 2 is about the results along with the change of pans permeability. When conductivity
is decided as 1.389e6, permeability is changed. Permeability has a direct impact on the value of
inductance and the reactance. In the following table permeability is relative permeability. From
Table 2, we can see that: (1) efficiency has a maximum value when permeability is about 800, and
the maximum efficiency and minimum efficiency has a difference about 1%. (2) Peddy and Q reduce
monotonously and quickly along with the increase of permeability.
Table 2: Along with the change of pans permeability.
permeability

ef f (%)

Peddy (W )

Q(W )

R12 ()

X()

97.66

700

2827

3.985

16.09

90

98.22

486

2051

5.285

22.30

400

98.62

379

1594

6.825

28.70

600

98.65

341

1499

6.969

30.66

900

98.65

302

1417

6.955

32.64

1000

98.64

292

1397

6.929

33.15

1500

98.60

254

1330

6.714

35.08

Table 3 is about the results along with the change of pans conductivity. The relative permeability is decided as 1 (except the case of iron pan with relative permeability 800 noted in the table
3). From Table 3, we can see that: (1) efficiency has a maximum value when conductivity is about
500000, and has a obvious variation along with the change of conductivity, Stainless steel pans
efficiency is high above 30% than aluminum pans, and lower 0.7% than iron pans, (2) power also
has a maximum value when conductivity is about 5e5 S/m.
Table 4 is about the results along with the change of ferrite discs thickness. The ferrite discs
thickness has a direct impact on the coils reactance. From Table 4, we can see that: (1) efficiency
with ferrite disc is higher about 1.7 than without ferrite disc, (2) ferrite discs thickness has a small
impact on the power, and the power only drops 0.2% when the thickness changes from 2.5 mm to
0.1 mm. But ferrite will get saturated when the thickness is smaller than 0.2 mm. So the thickness
should be greater than 0.2 mm.

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337

Table 3: Along with the change of pans conductivity.

Conductivity(S/m)

ef f (%)

Peddy (W )

Q(W )

R12 ()

X()

Note

1e4

83.02

27

1670

0.467

28.95

1e5

97.61

247

1733

3.886

27.39

5e5

98.46

652

2174

6.109

20.37

1e6

98.08

745

2614

4.879

17.08

1.39e6

97.66

697

2822

3.985

16.11

1e7

87.51

155

3335

0.668

14.47

1.026e7

98.33

479

1972

5.615

23.13

Iron

3.8e7

66.93

45

3346

0.163

14.43

Aluminum

Stainless steel

Table 4: Along with the change of the ferrite discs thickness.

Thickness(mm)

ef f (%)

Peddy (W )

Q(W )

R12 ()

X()

95.79

750

4016

2.169

11.61

0.1

97.47

704

2961

3.668

15.43

0.3

97.59

701

2878

3.855

15.83

0.5

97.62

701

2859

3.903

15.93

1.0

97.64

700

2841

3.948

16.02

2.5

97.67

700

2824

3.993

16.10

5. COMPARISON BETWEEN SOFTWARE COMPUTED RESULTS AND MEASURED

RESULTS

Because the lowest frequency of the impedance analyzer is 100 kHz, the comparison is taken under
100 kHz, instead of the actual working frequency of the induction cooker. The parameters of the
model are as follows: thickness of the pan is 0.4 mm, thickness of the ferrite is 2 mm, height between
the pan and the coil is 15 mm, height between the ferrite disc and the coil is 1 mm. The computed
results are: R = R12 + R1 = 5.65, X = 55.04; the measured results are: R = 5.62, X = 52.76.
They are in good agreement.
When the power of induction cooker is 1000 W, the measured voltage is 216 V, current is 13.3 A,
as showed in Fig. 5. And the input resistance can be get as 16.24 ohms. And the impedance is
17.33 ohms by software computing. They are in good agreement.

1>
T

2>
1) Ch 1:
2) Ch 2:

200 Volt 5 ms
20 A 5 ms

Figure 5: Measured voltage and current.

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PIERS Proceedings, Beijing, China, March 2327, 2009

6. CONCLUSIONS

1) Considered from the efficiency of induction cooker, the working frequency should be between
15 kHz to 40 kHz, the peak of efficiency occurs at 28 kHz, but efficiency differs only 0.2% in
this range of frequency. Therefore, the working frequency of induction cooker can be in a
wide range. Certainly selection of the working frequency should also consider electromagnetic
compatibility and noise problems.
2) The material of pan can be stainless steel and iron, but not aluminum. Because aluminum
pans efficiency is lower about 30% than stainless steel pans, but the iron pans efficiency is
close to stainless steel pans, the former is higher approximately 0.7% than the latter.
3) Appropriate magnetic shield must be set between the coil and circuit. The efficiency with ferrite disc is higher about 1.7% than without ferrite disc. Considered from the shield of beneath
electric circuit, that shield materials permeability must be high, the relative permeability
should better be higher than 1000.
REFERENCES

1. Koertzen, H. W. E., J. D. van Wyk, and J. A. Ferreira, An investigation of the analytical

computation of inductance and AC resistance of the heat coil for induction cookers, Industry
Applications Society Annual Meeting, Conference Record of the 1992 IEEE, Vol. 1, 11131119,
Oct. 1992.
2. Zhu, S., K. Deng, G. Tu, Combination of field and current for analysis of induction ladle
furances equivalent circuit, Journal of Shanghai University (Natural Science), Vol. 2, No. 2,
Apr. 1996.
3. Cheng, Y., Calculation and analysis of the electrical parameters in the intermediate-frequency
inductors, J. of Wuhan Univ of Hydr. & Elec Eng., No. 4, 1988.