MINI INDUCTION HEATER 5-12 VDC

Description

This board allows heating and possibly melting electrically conductive and especially ferromagnetic materials, using a ZVS (Zero Voltage Switching) circuit with a nominal power of 120 W, which can reach 150 W under certain conditions. Besides heating and melting metals, the circuit can find other interesting applications, such as wireless power transmission using coupled coils tuned to the resonance frequency, and trigger circuits for Tesla coils.

Usage

The circuit must be powered with a DC voltage between 5 and 12 V and with sufficient power; if the maximum voltage of 12 VDC is applied, we recommend a power supply with at least 120 W.
Insert the positive and negative wires of the power supply into the terminal, checking the polarity of the voltage, and tighten the screws.

Power the circuit between the + and – terminals and check that the LED lights up to indicate the presence of input voltage. At this point, the resonance current at about 100 kHz flows inside the work coil. If powered at the maximum voltage (12 VDC) and without introducing metal objects into the work coil, the power consumption is less than 30 W; however, when a conductor is introduced, depending on the material, size, geometry, and position, the absorbed power can vary greatly up to a maximum of 150 W.

Select the conductive body to be introduced into the work coil, such as a metal screw, grasp it and hold it in position with pliers (which must not get too close to the turns) to avoid burns.

Slowly insert the conductor into the work coil, trying not to let it touch the walls of the winding. Keep the conductor in a vertical position inside the work coil. The introduced conductor constitutes the secondary of the transformer whose primary winding is the work coil, and being inside a solenoid, the conductive material is hit by the magnetic field lines more intensely than positions outside the solenoid.

In a short time, the inserted material heats up due to the Joule effect and changes color, taking on the typical orange-yellow incandescent hues.

This condition can be maintained for a few tens of seconds, but you must consider that the temperature rises very high, so special care must be taken not to come into direct contact with the conductor, the work coil, or the heatsinks to avoid burns. Note that after a few minutes of use of the ZVS Induction Heater, the work coil winding will tend to darken, until it becomes almost black due to the generated heat, but this will not prevent its operation.

Precautions for use

The device offers interesting experiences and useful features but must be used with care.

• Make sure there are no flammable substances nearby, because the system develops strong heat on its elements and on the conductors introduced into the work coil.
• Make sure there are no electronic devices nearby, such as electromedical ones. The ZVS Induction Heater produces a high magnetic field of about 10 mT at 100 kHz, which could disturb electronic devices.
• Always use pliers with insulated handles to handle the conductors introduced into the work coil, to avoid burns. Do not touch the components of the ZVS Induction Heater or the conductors introduced into the work coil, during or after operation, to avoid burns.