How to Induction System Tuning Overview?
To get max power out of the system, we need it to be “tuned”. The System tuning is going to be affected by:
- The coil design itself (number of turns, diameter)
- The “load” (part) in the coil
- Caps and Transformer within the Heat Station
For us, the load (the part) is going to be fixed.
There are some things we can do to adjust the coil design, but sometimes the part dictates this. Ultimately, we may be limited on number of turns that we can do and still tune effectively.
The Heat Station provides some ability for adjustment.
- First, we need to get the frequency in the right range with caps.
- The capacitors need to be set to allow the frequency to operate within the range of the power supply. A larger coil (more turns, larger diameter or both) will decrease the frequency and may need less capacitance to allow the power supply to operate.
- After the caps are in the right range, we need to adjust tap ratio to get proper power transfer.
This is a quick guideline on the tuning – Induction Heating Tuning Guide.
When you see the meter readings on your system pegged for either voltage or current, that means you need to make an adjustment in the transformer ratio. If Voltage is 100%, that means we have a voltage limit, and can’t get more power out. Adjusting the tap settings down will allow for that to be resolved. But if you are already at the lowest tap setting, we need to look at alternative capacitors in the system to allow us to reduce the voltage further.