Patent ID: 7540316
Filing Date: 2009-06-02
Classification: F27D,H05B,Y10S

Abstract:
1. A method of heating a material located in a channel, the material having a melting range between a solidus temperature and a liquidus temperature, the method comprising: providing a channel comprising a tubular passage or conduit for a flowable material and providing an internal inductive heating assembly in the material in the channel, the assembly being surrounded by a relatively narrow width of open channel area; supplying a signal to the assembly to generate a magnetic flux in the assembly and/or the material, the magnetic flux generating inductive heating of the assembly and/or material and the magnetic flux generating a physical agitation in the material and/or in the assembly and being transmitted from the assembly to the material which lowers the solidus temperature of the material to a reduced solidus temperature; and wherein the material in the open channel area is heated from a nonflowable state to a flowable state.