Thermal Analysis of Induction Heating in Solid and Hollow Cylinders
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: In industrial applications, induction heating is a widely adopted and energy-efficient technique for heating solid materials, relying on electromagnetic fields generated by alternating electric currents. In the present work, the temperature distribution resulting from induction heating in 3D cylindrical geometries is investigated numerically. An unsteady-state numerical model was developed using the finite volume method. The volumetric heat generation within both solid and hollow cylinders was evaluated separately using a simplified electromagnetic formulation derived from Maxwell’s equations. Cylinders with fixed dimensions and materials with temperature-dependent thermophysical properties were considered. The numerical model was validated independently for solid and hollow cylinders against experimental results obtained under identical operating conditions. The temperature distribution was analyzed in both domains along the radial direction at various time intervals. The results indicate that incorporating variable properties enhances the temperature at comparatively low electric power supply frequencies. On the other hand, constant property assumptions significantly underestimate the temperature rise, even at higher frequencies. Additionally, the effects of the current amplitude and frequency on heat diffusion were investigated. The model predicts that variations in these parameters significantly influence the temperature profile within the heating section, providing valuable insights for the design and optimization of the induction heating process
Authors: Bose, Debanik, Dutta, Prashanta
Institution: Washington State University
Language: English
Subfield: Mechanical Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7160198120