NPP Sistema48 Ltd. (Lipetsk, Russia):

S. S. Titov, Cand. Eng., General Director, e-mail: algebra934@yandex.ru

Lipetsk State Technical University (Lipetsk, Russia):
V. I. Meshcheryakov, Dr. Eng., Head of the Dept of Electric Drive, e-mail: mesherek@stu.lipetsk.ru
I. O. Leushin, Dr. Eng., Prof., Head of the Dept of Metallurgical Technologies and Equipment, e-mail: igoleu@yandex.ru

Nizhny Novgorod State Technical University named after R. E. Alekseev (Nizhnyi Novgorod, Russia):
O. V. Fedorov, Dr. Eng., Prof., Dept. of Innovation Management, e-mail: fov52@mail.ru

To create energetically efficient continuous-action equipment for symmetric heating of spherical metal products to a given depth for heat treatment without oxidation and decarburization is a challenging problem for some industries, including the mass production of milling bodies for ore-dressing and processing enterprises and cement plants, balls for rolling bearings and valves in hydraulic systems, and wear-resistant balls in the backwater gates of deep-well pumps for oil production. Induction heating with direct high-rate (several seconds or fractions of a second) conversion of electric energy into heat energy meets these industrial heating requirements best of all. This method of heating is characterized by simple temperature and heating depth control, which makes it possible to obtain the optimum combination of a high surface hardness (back-to-back endurance) of products with a relatively plastic core (anticracking) after quenching and tempering. However, despite all advantages of this method, it is only applied to produce articles of a continuous or near-continuous cross section with ensured symmetry of heating in the world practice. Therefore, the actual task is the research and development of equipment for symmetric induction heating of steel balls with subsequent studies to determine. The article analyzes the thermal processes occurring in the induction heating of solid steel spherical bodies moving in the cylindrical inductor. The problem of designing and researching a plant for symmetrical induction heating of metal balls is considered, the electromagnetic processes occurring during heating are analyzed, the optimal frequency ranges of the electromagnetic field are determined, and dependences of the ball material specific heat depending on the heating modes are derived, the results of experimental studies are presented.

This study was supported by the Federal State Budgetary Institution “Fund for the Promotion of Innovation” - project No. 2637GS2 of 08/22/2018.

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