Patent ID: 7796674
Filing Date: 2010-09-14
Classification: F27B,H05B

Abstract:
1. A cold crucible induction furnace for heating an electrically conductive load, the cold crucible furnace comprising: an at least partially slotted furnace wall and a base, the at least partially slotted furnace wall extending below the base; a plurality of protrusions separating the at least partially slotted furnace wall from the base, the outer rim of the base substantially facing the radially oriented inner surfaces of the plurality of protrusions to form a bottom of an interior crucible volume bounded by the interior of the furnace wall, an exposed upper surface of each of the plurality of protrusions and of the base facing the interior crucible volume; at least one induction coil at least partially surrounding the height of the furnace wall; and an ac power source having its output connected to the at least one induction coil to supply ac power to the at least one induction coil and generate an ac field around the at least one induction coil, the ac field magnetically coupling with the electrically conductive load to inductively heat the electrically conductive material by induced eddy currents in the electrically conductive material.