Abstract A simplified thermal analysis technique was developed to analyze an inductively heated casting furnace. Initial operation of the vacuum casting furnace indicated that the outer shell of the vessel was exceeding the temperature design limit. The model took into consideration conduction, natural convection, phase change, radiation heat transfer, and induction heating. The furnace was constructed from ceramics, stainless steel, copper, graphite, and other materials. To develop a model based on first principles within a couple of weeks was not considered possible. The alternate approach was to develop a simplified numerical model that relied heavily on experimental data. The purpose of the model was to accurately predict the maximum vessel shell temperatures. A basic 5 node transient model was developed for the complete system. The resultant model predicted the transient heatup of the casting furnace and was able to predict the maximum shell temperature to within 5 °C. The model was also capable of predicting the effect of different operations on the shell temperature. This type of modeling approach can be used to troubleshoot existing heat transfer equipment problems, study the effect of different operating sequences, and give insight into the redesign of similar equipment.
Clarksean et al. (Sun,) studied this question.