[TheForge] Induction Forge? How much power does it take to run it?

[paul]

Steve Kayne wrote:
> The IF can draw 50amps. The problem with a generator is that it see's 
> the IF as a resistive load. The IF senses variations in line voltage 
> and freq.and will cut out. We spoke with Grant about this a few weeks 
> ago, his response was negative.
> -The unit is rated at 1500Kw and can put 600 amps into the work. It 
> really is easy to put the work into the coil and not hit the coil and 
> short it out. Putting two pieces into the coil butting them together 
> at welding heat and doing a butt weld is trickier for me ,I cannot be 
> chewing gum---- Steve kayne
>
I was curious about the power draw... 1500kw is 1,500,00 watts. at 240 
volts and 50 amps we're looking at about 12 kw or 12,000 watts.

Given the stated coil current of 600 amps, and that the 'matching' 
system that connects the coil to the power supply is a step down 
transformer which matches the impedance of the power supply to that of 
the coil,  even at 12 kw an output current to the coil of 600 amps is 
reasonable.
I was curious what the output frequency of the IH was. Some of the old 
industrial IH systems were motor generators operating in the 400 cycle 
range.
The lower the frequency the deeper the heat is generated in the stock. 
High frequency units primarily heat the surface as the induced currents 
do not penetrate the surface very far.

Paul Sperbeck