DIY inductive heating. Creating an induction heating boiler with your own hands. However, this method has significant disadvantages
People are spoiled by civilization and cannot imagine existing without its benefits. These undoubtedly include heating of buildings. Heating systems are constantly being improved and are becoming more efficient and convenient to use.
But this is not enough. Agree, it’s not bad at all if heating equipment is also economical. And this desire is quite feasible - you can make an induction heating boiler with your own hands. It is capable of not only providing the required level of heating of the room, but also very economically using energy resources.
Moreover, even a novice master can assemble such equipment if desired. How to do this correctly and what materials will be needed for manufacturing - we will examine these questions in detail in our article. Let us first consider the design and operating principle of the equipment, as well as the advantages of its use.
Before you get started self-assembly induction boiler, you have to understand its structure and operating principle. And only after understanding these points can you start making homemade products.
How does an induction boiler work?
To understand how it works induction equipment, you need to get acquainted with the principle of its operation. So let’s remember the school physics course.
When a conductive material is passed through electricity, it generates heat. In this case, the amount of heat received will be directly proportional to the voltage and current. This pattern was discovered by Joule and Lenz, after whom the physical law is named.
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However, induction boilers, although they run on electricity, they are quite economical.
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It is carefully wound onto a plastic pipe with pieces of metal wire inside. copper wire
Only after this can you test the new device. It must contain liquid.
If you turn on the induction boiler “dry”, the plastic casing will melt from high temperature. This will lead to partial destruction of the heating system, which is unacceptable.
Another important point– proper arrangement of grounding of the heating device, without which its safe operation is impossible.
Features of Vortex Induction Boiler
We are already familiar with the operating principle of an induction heating device. There is a variation of it: a vortex induction boiler or VIN, which operates somewhat differently.
Distinctive features of VIN
Like its induction counterpart, it operates on high-frequency voltage, so it must be equipped with an inverter. The peculiarity of the VIN device is that it does not have a secondary winding.
Everyone plays her role metal parts device. They are necessarily made from materials that exhibit ferromagnetic properties. Thus, when current is applied to the primary winding of the device, the electromagnetic field strength increases sharply.
It, in turn, generates a current, the strength of which rapidly increases. Eddy currents provoke magnetization reversal, as a result of which all ferromagnetic surfaces heat up very quickly, almost instantly.
Vortex devices are quite compact, but due to the use of metal, their weight is high. This gives additional benefit, since all massive elements of the body take part in heat exchange. Thus, the efficiency of the unit approaches 100%.
This feature of the device must be taken into account if you decide to make a VIN boiler yourself. It can only be made of metal, plastic should not be used.
Unusual model of induction device
This modification of the induction boiler may seem very unusual, however, it has a right to exist.
Moreover, practice shows that such a device is much more economical than a standard heating element boiler. Heating a standard three-ruble note will take about 1.8-2.5 kW per hour, while an electric boiler will spend at least 6 kW.
In the manufacture of homemade induction boilers, only a special winding is used for winding on the core. copper wire
Actually, the boiler is a heat exchanger embedded in the heating system, which is heated by an induction electric stove.
An important link in the design is the heat exchanger; it must be compact, reliable and as cheap as possible. Calculations show that to heat an apartment of about 50 square meters. m, a device operating with 40 liters of coolant will be sufficient.
That is, you will need a flat metal tank, the dimensions of which vary between 50x600x500 mm. It is quite possible to make such a container yourself by welding it from profile pipes 50x50.
The work is performed in the following sequence:
- The 50x50 pipe is cut into pieces 600 mm long. There should be 9-10 pieces in total.
- The resulting sections are welded one to another according to the “wall to wall” principle so that a continuous row of pipes is obtained.
- Two more sections are cut from the pipe so that their length is equal to the width of the resulting workpiece.
- One wall is cut off from both resulting pipe fragments.
- The part is installed with the cut part on the pipes welded together so that a blank resembling a manifold is obtained. The fragment is welded to the heat exchanger.
- The second section of pipe is installed in the same way on the opposite side.
- Nozzles are welded into diagonally opposite sections of the heat exchanger for connection to the heating system.
- The structure is carefully scalded, as it must be completely sealed.
The heat exchanger is ready, it can be installed in place and a heat source can be supplied under it. Practice shows that it is best to install such a system in a bathroom using vertical installation.
The heat exchanger is welded into the heating system, and the tile is located between it and the wall.
Home craftsmen claim that if you connect an inverter to such a device, its energy consumption will be significantly reduced.
After reading the instructions, does making homemade boilers seem difficult and dangerous to you? Do you doubt that a homemade product will be more economical in using electricity to heat the coolant in the heating system? In this case, purchasing a ready-made heating unit will be the best solution.
On our website there is useful materials on choosing the best electric boiler and rating the most popular models among buyers. We also recommend that you familiarize yourself with the features of calculating energy consumption by the boiler and other options electric heating in the house:
To buy such a device in a store you will have to spend a significant amount, so home craftsmen have learned to make them themselves.
Do you use a homemade induction boiler as a heating device? Share a photo of your homemade product and assembly instructions in the comments section.
Or maybe you are just about to start making a boiler and you still have unresolved questions after reading our article? Don't hesitate to ask them - we will try to help you.
With the topic of the efficiency and economy of induction boilers, the further we go, the more incomprehensible everything becomes. The discussion is active, including on many forums. But only those that prove that these savings are inventions of unscrupulous sellers remain open and accessible. Others become inaccessible.
The main argument of opponents of the use of induction boilers is the law of conservation of energy. Moreover, it is interpreted as follows: no matter what heater is supplied with 1 kW of electricity, it can only generate slightly less than 1 kW of thermal energy. A little less - due to losses and not one hundred percent efficiency. Because the heating element, an induction heater will spend the same (or almost) amount of electricity to produce one amount of heat. And since induction boilers are much more expensive, buying them is a waste of money.
Does an induction boiler save electricity or not? That is the question…
There were also opponents. There are few of them, but they exist. This theory is not simple, and requires deep knowledge. But the essence of the objection is this: when a heater consumes 1 kW of electricity, it produces 1 kW of energy, but not all of this energy is thermal. And in terms of the production of thermal energy, induction heaters turn out to be much more productive than traditional heating elements. And direct confirmation of this is household induction cookers. They require less electricity to heat the same amount of water. This is easy to check: take two tiles of the same power - induction and with a spiral. Then put two identical pots of water, turn them on and note how much time each unit takes at the same power. The shorter the time before boiling, the less electricity is spent.
How to make your own induction boiler
Now about how to make an induction boiler with your own hands. If you do everything yourself, you need a lot of knowledge. For example, two electronics engineers tinkered for more than six months, transferred a lot of spare parts, and spent a lot of money on them. Working installation, in the end, they assembled it, they were very pleased with the result, but they only posted photos.
On the manufacturers' websites there is only general information with a demonstration of operating principles and no diagrams. It is, in general, understandable.
Those models that propose to make: fill a plastic pipe with pieces of wire and wind the wire on top, may work, but are clearly unfinished. Serious protection is needed: the coil turns are on top, and current runs through them. Moreover, from a 220 V network. In addition, there is no temperature control, which is fraught: the plastic melts. It is also necessary to calculate the speed of movement of the coolant and much more. In general, it is unsafe.
Below is a video that presents one of the options for such a homemade induction heating boiler. It is simple to perform:
Heating boiler made of induction stove or panel
But those who want to make an induction boiler do not necessarily have to assemble the heater themselves. All you need is to buy an induction household hob. It costs $50 and up. Next are the options:
This version of the boiler is made from induction cooker Really anyone can do it. Just pay attention once again - in order for a liquid or surface to heat up, the metal must be magnetic. Good stainless steel (non-magnetic) or aluminum are not suitable: Foucault currents do not propagate in them. In addition to the fact that you almost don’t need to do anything, this option is good because the tile has a control and safety system that will turn off the device in case of overheating.
Results
Of the three presented options for homemade induction heating boilers, two are not really boilers (or not boilers at all - depending on how you look at them). But at the same time, you can heat rooms with their help. Methods with an induction cooker are easy to test, especially easy for those who have such a cooker. To increase heat transfer in the tile + radiator option, you can arrange a fan (if necessary). But how well it works needs to be tested from your own experience.
When planning a heating system in a country house, owners consider many technical solutions, including an option with an induction boiler. Its installation allows you to save electrical energy, it does not emit life-threatening substances, and therefore is environmentally friendly. It is possible to create an induction heating boiler with your own hands and see its advantages, for example, over units running on gas or solid fuel.
Internal structure and principle of operation of the boiler
The main purpose of the equipment is to create thermal energy from electrical energy using a special unit. Unlike heating elements, induction devices increase the temperature of the coolant faster due to a completely different design.
Induction boilers are effectively used in heating systems not only in private homes
The coolant is traditionally water or antifreeze, but sometimes other liquids are used that have the necessary property of current conductivity.
The device is based on an inductor (transformer) with two types of windings. Eddy currents arise inside, following the coil (short-circuited), which is also the housing. As a result, the secondary winding is replenished with a supply of energy, which it immediately converts into heat, which is transferred to the coolant.
The device must be equipped with two pipes: through one of them cooled coolant will be supplied, and through the second, hot coolant will come out.
The system does not overheat due to the fact that hot water is constantly removed, and cold water comes in instead
The diagram of a factory-made boiler is similar to the diagram of home-made equipment
If we break down the operating principle of the boiler into stages, we get the following picture:
- Water (or other coolant) enters the boiler.
- Electricity is supplied to the internal winding.
- Under voltage, the core is heated, and then the surface.
- The coolant is heating up.
A self-made induction boiler usually has simple design, so it rarely fails. Thanks to the vibration that accompanies the operation of the unit, the appearance of scale, which is also a common cause of breakdowns, is eliminated. The factory device works on the same principle:
Examples of homemade designs
Option #1 - Plastic pipes + welding inverter
Having some knowledge in the field of physics and owning wire cutters, you can assemble a basic induction model yourself.
To do this, you need to purchase a ready-made welding inverter, high-frequency, with smooth current regulation and a power of 15 amperes, although for heating it is better to choose a more powerful device. Wire rod from of stainless steel or simply pieces of steel wire are suitable as a heated element. The length of the segments is about 50 mm, with a diameter of 7 mm.
Copper wire can be purchased at the store. It is better not to use winding from old coils
The housing (the base of the induction coil) will also be part of the pipeline, so a plastic pipe, always with thick walls, is suitable for its manufacture, inner diameter which is slightly less than 50 mm. Two pipes are attached to the body for the flow of cold coolant and the return of heated coolant.
The internal space is completely filled with pieces of wire, covered at both ends with a metal mesh so that they do not fall apart. The induction coil is made in the following way: around a ready-made plastic pipe carefully wind the enameled copper wire - approximately 90 turns.
The homemade device must be connected to the network. A section of pipe is cut out from the installed pipeline, and a homemade induction boiler is installed in its place. It is connected to the inverter and the water is turned on.
The induction heating boiler is located together with the rest of the equipment - in the boiler room
It is important to note that induction heating boilers only work if there is coolant in the system; without it, the plastic casing will melt.
Option #2 - design with a transformer
To manufacture this unit, you will need a welding machine, as well as a transformer (three-phase) with the ability to be fixed.
It is necessary to weld two pipes so that they look like a donut in cross-section
This design performs both conductive and heating functions. Then the winding is wound directly onto the boiler body so that it works more efficiently, despite its low weight and size. The coolant heating circuit is standard: it receives thermal energy upon contact with the winding.
As well as the simpler option, complex model equipped with two pipes - for the entrance of the cold coolant and the exit of the heated one
Availability protective casing will help eliminate loss of thermal energy. You can also make the casing yourself.
Features of installation and operation
The heating system is suitable for installing an induction system closed type, which includes a pump that creates forced circulation water in pipes. Common plastic pipelines are also suitable for installing a self-made boiler.
During installation, you should maintain safe distances to the nearest objects: to other devices and the wall - 300 mm or more, to the floor and ceiling - 800 mm or more. It is reasonable to place a safety group (pressure gauge, air release valve) near the outlet pipe.
Grounding is another one required condition installation of an induction boiler.
Having made an induction boiler with your own hands, you can soon see the results of your labors: it will work properly long time, not inferior to the factory performance. Difficult to manufacture but economical to use, it does not require additional service, the main thing is to comply with the operating conditions.
To ensure the warm and cozy comfort of your country house, a person, first of all, thinks about how to heat his home. First of all, this concerns the choice of heating equipment.
The main criteria for choosing heating units are the efficiency of their use, as well as the minimum cost of paying for energy resources.
Based on these criteria, many people believe that the most optimal equipment for a private home is electrical. But one can safely argue about the effectiveness of their use due to the fact that gas and electricity are constantly becoming more expensive, and this, in turn, does not reduce the cost of heating a home.
We invite you to familiarize yourself with this alternative option heating a country house, how to use it. Therefore, in this article we will talk in detail about the induction boiler and its technical specifications, and also describe the process of creating this unit with your own hands.
Device
This type of modern heating equipment, such as an induction boiler, consists of the following structural components:
- Inductor. This element is the most important component of the induction unit. This is a kind of transformer, the circuit of which has two windings:
- the primary winding, as a rule, is wound on the core, and it is in it that an electromagnetic field is created, which forms vortex flows;
- the secondary winding, which is also the boiler body, receives eddy currents and transfers energy directly to the coolant.
- Inverter. This component of the boiler unit can also be called a converter. In other words, the main function of the inverter is that it takes ordinary household electricity and converts it into high-frequency current, which is supplied directly to the primary winding of the inductor.
- A heating element. This is the same core, which can be represented in the form of a metal pipe.
- Pipes. One of them is designed to supply coolant to the boiler, and the other supplies heated water directly to the heating system.
Specialist's note: The inductor is calculated depending on how much boiler power is needed to heat the home.
As a rule, the boiler power is calculated using the following formula: 1 kW per 10 m2 of room, provided that the ceiling height does not exceed 3 meters. For example, if the total area of the house is 130 m2, then, accordingly, you will need an induction boiler with a power of 13 kW.
Principle of operation
To understand how an induction unit functions, you need to familiarize yourself with the following important points:
- water enters the boiler unit through the inlet pipe;
- the inverter turns on and high-frequency current is supplied;
- vortex flows begin to first heat the core, and then the entire heating element as a whole;
- the resulting heat is transferred directly to the coolant;
- The heated coolant is transferred to the heating system through the outlet pipe using hydrostatic pressure.
Expert advice: The coolant in an induction boiler can be water, antifreeze, oil and other petroleum-based liquids.
Analyzing the design and operating principle of a boiler of this type, one can involuntarily come to the conclusion that an induction boiler unit can be completely constructed with one’s own hands, without having too deep knowledge of physical phenomena.
Materials and tools
Before you start assembling an induction boiler, first of all, you need to make sure you have all necessary materials for its manufacture, as well as to ensure that the tools required for the work are at hand.
For construction you will need:
- a piece of plastic pipe that will serve as the body of the unit;
- steel or stainless wire, which will serve as a kind of heating element;
- copper wire is necessary to create an inductor;
- Ball Valves and adapters will be needed to connect the induction boiler to heating system;
- inverter, preferably from a welding machine;
- wire cutters;
- pliers.
When everything is ready from the above list, you can proceed directly to assembling the boiler unit.
Operating procedure
The design of an induction unit comes down to the following main and sequential manufacturing steps:
- Steel or stainless steel wire is cut with wire cutters into lengths from 3 to 7 cm.
- The plastic pipe is tightly filled with cut pieces of wire. It is important to know that the wire must be laid in such a way that no voids are formed inside.
- At the ends of the pipe it is fixed metal grid for the purpose of preventing wire pieces from spilling out.
- Nozzles are cut into the top and bottom of the pipe. The lower pipe is needed to supply coolant to the boiler, and the upper pipe is needed to supply it to the heating system.
- Copper wire is wound over the pipe, and the condition must be met that the number of turns is at least 90.
- The ends of the wire are connected to the inverter connectors.
- Using adapters and ball valves, the boiler is connected to the heating system, and also installed circulation pump, if it was not in the heating circuit.
Important point: The supply of high-frequency current to the induction boiler should be done only after the circulation pump is turned on and the unit is completely filled with coolant!
Advantages
A boiler unit assembled by yourself will have a number of advantages, among which the following important points can be highlighted:
- rapid heating of the coolant in the boiler in 3–5 minutes;
- the minimum heating temperature of the coolant is 35 0C;
- the magnetic field, in addition to creating thermal energy, creates vibrations that perfectly prevent the appearance of scale;
- the efficiency is close to 100%, in other words, all electricity is converted into heat with virtually no losses;
- during operation of the unit, no combustion products are emitted, as a result of which there is no need to construct a chimney, as well as frequent maintenance;
- The period of uninterrupted operation of an induction boiler can reach up to 30 years due to the fact that the design of the unit does not provide for mechanical movement of parts, and as a result, there is no wear or damage to component elements.
Thus, we have revealed all the characteristics of an induction boiler unit, and also pointed out all the nuances of making a boiler with your own hands. We sincerely hope that all our tips and recommendations outlined in this article will become a desktop guide for you when assembling an induction unit with your own hands.
Watch a video in which an experienced user demonstrates the design and operation of a home-made induction heating boiler:
Induction heating boilers appeared on the market not so long ago, but have already become a serious competitor to classic equipment using heating elements. Devices of these types have the same dimensions and do not differ in power consumption. However, inverter equipment has a number of advantages, for example, they warm up the heating system faster. Using your existing knowledge, you can create an induction heating boiler with your own hands.
Principle of operation
All induction-type devices are based on the ability of materials that conduct electricity to heat up under the influence of eddy currents that are created using electromagnetic induction. The induction source is a high-frequency alternating electric current passing through the first winding of the heating device.
The secondary short-circuited winding is represented by a heating element located inside the coil. Eddy currents can also appear at a standard power supply frequency of 50 Hz. However, in such a situation heating device will not be able to function with maximum efficiency, and during its operation vibration and noise will be observed. Thus, the frequency must be raised to at least 10 kHz.
Part 2. Do-it-yourself induction boiler - it's easy. Choice induction hob. Finalization.
Unit design
The inverter heating boiler consists of a heat exchanger that acts as a core on which a toroidal winding is wound, connected to a frequency converter. When electric current flows through the winding, an alternating magnetic field appears, causing the appearance of eddy currents in the heat exchanger.
The frequency required for the operation of the heating unit is set using signals from the control unit supplied to the frequency converter. All industrial boilers of this type are equipped modern systems automation, allowing to provide optimal temperature coolant, and also turn off the unit in case of emergency situations.
The coolant passes through the heat exchanger and is heated by eddy currents. Because temperature indicators the fluids at the inlet and outlet are different, continuous circulation of water in the heating circuit is possible even without using pumping equipment. Oil, antifreeze, antifreeze and water can be used as a carrier.
Particular attention should be paid to the fact that the quality of the liquid does not matter– the system is in a state of constant vibration, not felt by humans, and this prevents the formation of scale on the pipes. The outer shell of the boiler is metal structure, equipped with thermal and electrical insulation systems. Below is a diagram induction heating with your own hands, which can be implemented quite easily.
Among the advantages heating devices induction type it is worth noting the following:
However, the inverter unit also has several disadvantages. The most significant among them is cost. That is why many home craftsmen decide to make an induction boiler with their own hands. You can develop drawings of this device yourself, or you can use ready-made ones. Wherein homemade design will practically not yield industrial models on work efficiency.
Part 4. Do-it-yourself induction boiler - it's easy. Testing in a water heating system.
There are several design options for units of this type. However, not all DIY induction heating boilers are easy to make. There are two designs worth paying attention to.
From inverter welding machine
When creating induction boilers with your own hands, the most difficult thing is to assemble a high-frequency converter. To simplify the task, you can use a welding inverter that produces a signal with a frequency of at least 20 kHz. You will also need the following materials for this work::
- Copper conductor with an enamel insulating layer with a diameter of 1-1.5 mm.
- Insulated wire and terminals for connecting the coil to the inverter.
- Pieces of stainless steel wire about 5 cm long and 3-5 mm in diameter.
- Water supply polyethylene pipe 100 cm long and 50 mm in diameter.
- Fine mesh stainless steel mesh.
- Pipe adapters.
- Tee for connecting a safety valve.
- Two ball valves.
- Textolite strips and epoxy glue.
You can use plastic or metal as a housing distribution board. First, on a polypropylene pipe, departing 80-100 mm from its ends, it is necessary to strengthen 4 textolite strips 8-10 mm wide. Then 50 to 100 turns of wire coated with enamel are wound on them. protective layer. The distance between the turns should be 0.3-0.6 mm.
The exact number of turns is influenced by the diameter of the conductor, its indicator resistivity and output parameters of the inverter used. If the unit will be installed in a residential area, it is better to make a toroidal winding to reduce the strength of the external electromagnetic field.
DIY induction boiler part 1
You need to insert a stainless steel mesh into one end of the pipe, and then tightly fill it with pieces of stainless steel wire. After this, the second end of the pipe must also be covered with a mesh. Adapters are mounted on both sides polyethylene pipe, after which ball valves are installed on them. Safety valve must be installed on the side of the top outlet adapter.
You will also have to coat the winding with epoxy. To make the composition, you need to take a little more hardener than recommended in the instructions - about 10-15%. After this, all that remains is to connect the winding to the inverter and install the heat exchanger in the housing. It is important to remember that induction heating units cannot be started without coolant. Before testing the system for functionality, it must be filled with water.
From induction cooker
There are two possible design options here. To implement the first solution, you will have to disassemble the plate and use its copper core heating element for making a coil. The tile control unit can be used to power the winding. However, this method has several significant disadvantages:
- It is necessary to recalculate the inductance of the homemade coil.
- Many stove models are equipped with an automatic shut-off system after a certain period of time from the moment of operation.
- Induction cookers most often have a power of no more than 2.5 kW, which makes them suitable only for the manufacture of a low-power heating unit.
Which heating boiler is better? An induction electric boiler of 2 kW versus a heating element of 2 kW.
A simpler and more efficient design does not require preliminary disassembly of the slab. It is enough to install a sealed tank made of stainless steel on this device. This container will act as a boiler for the heating system. To get started homemade unit All that remains is to connect the tank to the heating system.
If House master has good knowledge in the field of electronics, then after finalizing the stove circuit you can make a good induction boiler. However, most craftsmen choose simpler ways to solve the problem. Whatever design is used as a result, it will save on the purchase of factory equipment.
