induction heater levitation melting aluminum

This is a 3kw induction heater levitating and melting aluminum. A small cylindrical chunk is levitated with 2-2.5kw of input power. I transform it into a molten, glowing ball before releasing it to the ground. You can read about it at http://www.mindchallenger.com/inductionheater

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Induction
• heater
• levitation
• levitating
• heating
• molten
• aluminum
• melting
• DIY

[imsmoother]

I also wrote an app for the iPhone, Thermal Light, to measure the temperature of the metal from 1000F-2700F!

[rich1051414]

@kimooZ06 induction isnt 'heat', it isnt hot at all. What happens is it creates a magnetic field and reverses the poles over and over so fast that it causes the magnetic material to heat up from it pushing and pulling against itself so heavily and so fast, and it also explains its levitation.

[CertifiedBad4ss]

One of the coolest things ive seen on youtube, and that says a lot.

[davolfman]

So, the coil inducts an eddy current into the aluminum which then creates it's own magnetic field that has the same polarity as the magnetic field of the coil at any given time (minus some phase shift from the eddy current being the the time-derivative of the other waveform but close enough) so it repels the coils magnetic field. Then on the other side the metal heats up because even though it's aluminum you are putting a batshit-crazy amount of current through it. Did I get my physics right?

[electronicsandrobots]

3:30 LaSER

[billeethesciencegeek]

@rich1051414 First of all the process of induction heating does not reverse the poles of the object. Also the levitation is caused by the aluminum being diamagnetic meaning that it will take the magnetic field and reflect it back on its source. what happens is that inside the coil the opposing magnetic forces of each winding causes what are called eddy currents which merely jiggle, or "excite", the atoms of the item in the field. This whole process does causes heat to build up in the object.

[GCTeleVision]

You should release it into a pot of liquid nitrogen........

[TrmptPlyr530]

Definitely the most fascinating thing I've ever seen on youtube... Glad I found this by chance :-)

[stevenmorookian16]

@DigGil1 I did not know that, thanks!

[DigGil1]

@stevenmorookian16 Actually aluminium develops eddy currents and so it repels magnetic fields. You should try letting a magnet fall through a long aluminium tube: it takes longer!

[SquatsOats]

Too bad! You shoud've filmed the part when the ball hits the ground! Good vid tho!

[legitimatemind]

Camera skills. Get some.

[Marlene38EE]

That was the single most fascinating thing I've seen in a while!! I've got to show this to hubby, he's going to love it!!