Fossil-to-Electric Transformation

Dielectric heating, also called radio frequency heating, is a process of heating insulators or dielectrics by exposing them to high-frequency electromagnetic fields. The heat is generated by the interaction of the high-frequency fields with the dipolar molecules in the material. The molecules attempt to adapt to the rapidly changing electric field, causing them to rub against each other and generate heat through internal friction. This process is particularly effective in materials with a high dielectric constant, such as water or plastics. Dielectric heating is commonly used in industrial applications to dry, heat or melt materials. TRUMPF Hüttinger offers a very wide range of high-frequency power generators and matching networks (so-called matchboxes). We can also design appropriate applicators on customer request.

Solid state microwave generators use semiconductor components to generate microwaves. The generators generate high irradiance at very high frequencies, which stimulate the (di-polar) molecules (e.g., water, plastics, glass, ceramics, foams, etc.) to oscillate. These oscillations create friction and heat, which heats up the process material (workpiece). Compared to conventional magnetron generators, TRUMPF Hüttinger solid-state generators are more precise and efficient. They enable more balanced heating and reduce unnecessary energy losses. TRUMPF Hüttinger SSPG microwave generators can be pulsed (30 ns) and, thanks to frequency sweeping or switching, enable a high level of adaptation to special heating tasks, some of which were unsolvable previously.

A medium-frequency power generator uses a so-called outer circle (adaptation) and a metal inductor to create a medium-frequency magnetic field in an electrically conductive heating element (e.g. cold graphite crucible), or an electrical eddy current is generated for the process material (workpiece) itself, which in turn (similar to the resistive heating process) has losses with the metal atoms through interaction and thus heats up the material. A characteristic feature and a particular advantage is that there is no direct contact between the inductor and the heating element or the process material. When designing heating systems, TRUMPF Hüttinger has the right power supplies for a wide range of applications and can solve customer-specific issues.

Plasma Burner Torch:

In many industrial processes today, natural gas-driven flames are used to generate the process heat. In order to achieve certain temperature limits, the past international climate conferences have agreed to make CO₂-generating processes much more expensive worldwide, so that in a few years the above-mentioned warming tasks will no longer be able to cover their costs. 

In many industrial heating processes, a fundamentally different heating method can be used (dielectric, resistive, inductive heating, see previous examples). In some other processes there is no real generic alternative to a "flame".

A plasma-based flame (plasma burner torch) can be a solution in this case. A process gas (H₂, CO₂, N₂, O₂ , Ar, air, ...) is streamed through a pipe arrangement (0.05 m - 1 m or more in diameter) at atmospheric pressure. This gas is excited in a special arrangement from the outside, without contact, by means of medium-frequency - high-frequency inductive power input to form a plasma or plasma flame. An interesting aspect is that the above-mentioned process gas can be "recycled", i.e. returned to the process as recycling. In fact, nothing "burns" in this process, despite the fact that the heat is generated in a flame.

TRUMPF Hüttinger is currently developing process power supplies and power couplings that will soon replace heat generation using natural gas flames, up to the megawatt range. These are used in a variety of ways, e.g., in metal production or metal recycling, in the chemical and glass-producing industries. 

Electrical direct or alternating current acts in a heating element (indirectly) or in the process material (workpiece) itself. The electrical resistance causes heating in each case. Depending on the arrangement, a very homogeneous heating pattern with very stable temperature control can be achieved. In this process, TRUMPF Hüttinger mainly uses DC (direct current generators), which can be very well-regulated.