ABSTRACT
The majority of induction billet heaters utilize a heating mode where billets are moved through a heater. This chapter will provide a study of the wide range of optimal control problems for progressive and continuous induction heating modes (Section 1.3). The
progressive heating
mode occurs when two or more heated workpieces (e.g., billets) are moved (via pusher, indexing mechanism, walking beam, etc.) through a single coil or inline multicoil induction heater. Therefore, components are sequentially heated (in a progressive manner) at certain predetermined heating stages inside the heater. With the
continuous heating
mode, the workpiece is moved in a continuous motion through one or more inline induction heating coils. This heating mode is commonly used when it is necessary to heat long components such as bars, slabs, strips, tubes, wires, blooms, and rods.
