V. Rudnev, Inductoheat Inc., Madison Heights, MI

Summary: This presentation represents the first attempt to provide a systematic engineering- scientific analysis of the failures of induction coils. Although, different coil styles and applications have its own the most common failure modes, the most typical sources of the coil failures could be divided into the following categories; Improper coil design and fabrication technique, Abnormal service conditions, inappropriate process parameters, mechanical damage and coil abuse, damaging effect of magnetic field strength, frequency and electromagnetic forces, Improper material selection, Improper water-cooling and copper overheating due to Joule heat, Stress-corrosion cracking, Stress-fatigue cracking, Work hardening, Unanticipated thermal radiation exposure to high temperatures, Effect of working environment and “Mansoon season” effect, Unexpected effect of coil tooling and accessories, including magnetic flux concentrators, Improper coil tightness, Improper coil maintenance, Improper storage and shipment, etc. All these factors will be discussed in this presentation.