Induction Heating

[EfficiencyBuff]

Can anyone give me a good reason why magnetic induction heating is not used for steam generation? With the efficiences and current cost of natural gas I would think this would be a viable option. Just Curious

 

[inductionexpert]

induction Heating is the most efficent means of heating vs all other means, likely 85% to heat a vessel for creating steam. However the capitol expense is the highest for induction vs other means of heating.

 

[biff44]

You've lost me there. Unless a resistor catches fire and gives off some light, a resistive heater is 100% efficient.

 

[zeitghost]

Most efficient?

So that's ignoring the 60% of the input heat thrown away at the generating station?

 

[IRstuff]

In additional to Zeitghost's input, there are additional losses in inductive heating:

Transmission line losses
Voltage transformer losses
RF generator losses
Inductive coupling losses


And, in some cases, the electricity is generated from the same fossil fuels that are claimed to be "inefficient."

TTFN

 

[biff44]

???? What the heck are you talking about. Were you planning on powering your magnetic induction heater coil with cold fusion or something?

 

[EfficiencyBuff]

Biff, is that last statement direct to me? Because induction heating stove tops are more than 50% more efficient than either gas or electric stoves. I understand steam generation is a different animal, but still most boilers are lucky to be 84% efficient. I was just wondering if there was a good reason why this has not been scaled up to steam generation.

 

[biff44]

No, to Zeitghost. A resistive heating element immersed in water will be 100% efficient in heating the water. Look up how calorimeters are made, and if they are efficient or not.

Explain how you will inductively couple electrical energy into the water with any more than 50% total efficiency?

 

[IRstuff]

Zeitghost was replying to the other guy

TTFN

 

[zeitghost]

I think I'm confused now... but that's nothing new

My point was that irrespective of how efficient the coupling at the heater end is, you've still thrown away 60% of the heat input at the generating end

Since an induction hob is heating the bottom of a pan without any intervening contact loss, it seems to me that it must be more efficient than something that relies on a fairly dubious thermal connection with lots & lots of airspace.

 

[Marke]

Hello EfficiencyBuff

There was a company here in Christchurch, New Zealand using a form of induction heating to heat water or any other fluid. It was an inline heating system and worked well. Unfortunately, the market did not prove viable. I believe that the technology is still for sale however.

Best regards,

Mark Empson

http://www.lmphotonics.com