Heat behavior and axial temperature distribution of a Ti-6Al-4V alloy in a superconducting induction heater with a controllable magnet structure

Ti-6Al-4V (TC4) metal billets can usually be preheated by gases, resistance furnaces, and conventional induction heater powered by alternating current. However, the disadvantages of these heating methods are long heating time and small skin depths. The novel superconducting induction heater has several advantages in terms of heating quality, heating efficiency, heating time and axial temperature control. It has gained successful commercial application in the large aluminum extrusion industry in 2021. However, no studies on TC4 heating behavior using a superconducting induction heater have been reported, and no studies on uniform and gradient temperature characteristics of TC4 in superconducting induction heater. The uniform temperature distribution of TC4 is helpful to reduce the heating residual stress of forgings. The gradient temperature distribution of TC4 billet can obtain different properties in different parts of the same TC4 billet, which is suitable for manufacturing functionally graded materials. In this study, a high-temperature superconducting (HTS) direct-current (DC) induction furnace was firstly used to perform heating experiments for TC4 metal billets of 1250 mm length and 220 mm diameter. The application of the superconducting magnet for induction heating allows for high-power and fast heating of the TC4 billet at an extremely low frequency (4 Hz). The HTS induction heater technology has the advantages of high penetration depth, high energy efficiency (>82%), high heating uniformity, and controllable temperature distribution. Additionally, it improves the metal heating quality and reduces the heating cost. The 10 identical iron pieces of superconducting magnet on both sides of the iron core can be adjusted independently. The gradient and uniform temperature distributions of the thermally optimized TC4 billets were experimentally determined using adjustable electromagnetic heating power. Subsequently, the heating behavior of TC4 billets was modeled and compared using the numerical multiphysical finite element method; the results obtained using this method are in agreement with the experimental results. An expert database has been established for the heating strategy of TC4 billets. The optimized axial temperature distribution was analyzed for three different TC4 billet diameters (phi 220, phi 300, and phi 446 mm). The obtained gradient and uniform axial temperature distributions had an error of less than +/- 3 C, and the adjustable difference at twoends temperature of TC4 billets was in the range 10-100 C/m. Finally, the maximum thermal stress on the TC4 billet during heating also was analyzed. The results of this study will be useful of the novel HTS induction heater application for TC4 billet heating, and axial temperature control. The uniform temperature distribution control will reduce the heating residual stress of forgings. The gradient temperature distribution of TC4 billet is suitable for manufacturing functionally graded materials.