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Do-it-yourself induction heating boiler. Induction heating boiler: advantages of application and do-it-yourself manufacturing technology. Stages of creating an induction boiler with your own hands

With the topic of the efficiency and economy of induction boilers, the farther, the more incomprehensible. The discussion is active, and in many forums as well. But only those that prove that this economy is an invention 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 a little less than 1 kW of thermal energy. A little less - due to losses and not one hundred percent efficiency. Because the heating element, that the induction heater will spend the same (or almost) amount of electricity to generate one amount of heat. And since induction boilers are much more expensive, then buying them is a waste of money.

Does an induction boiler save energy or not? That is the question…

There were also opponents. They are few, but they are. This theory does not belong to the category of simple ones, and deep knowledge is needed. But the essence of the objection is this: the heater, when consuming 1 kW of electricity, produces 1 kW of energy, but not all of this energy is thermal. And for the production of thermal energy induction heaters turn out to be much more productive than traditional heating elements. And a direct confirmation of this is household induction cookers. They require less electricity to heat the same amount of water. This is easily checked: take two tiles of the same power - induction and with a spiral. Then put two identical pots of water, turn it on and note how much time it takes for each of the units at the same power. The shorter the time before boiling, the less electricity is spent.

How to make an induction boiler yourself

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 electronic engineers worked for more than six months, transferred a lot of spare parts, spent a lot of money on them. working installation, in the end, they collected it, they are very satisfied with the result, but they posted only a photo.

On the manufacturers' websites there is only general information with a demonstration of the principles of operation and no diagrams. It is, in general, understandable.

Those models that offer to do: fill a plastic pipe with pieces of wire and wind the wire on top, maybe they work, but they are clearly unfinished. Serious protection is needed: the turns of the coil are on top, and current runs through them. Moreover, from a 220 V network. In addition, there is no temperature control, which is fraught with: the plastic melts. It also requires the calculation of the speed of movement of the coolant and much more. In general, it is unsafe.

Below is a video that shows one of the options for such a home-made induction heating boiler. It is easy to execute:

Heating boiler from induction hob or panel

But for those who want to make an induction boiler, it is not at all necessary to assemble the heater on their own. All you need is to buy an induction household stove. It costs $50 and up. Next are the options:

This type of boiler induction cooker anyone can really do it. Just pay attention once again - in order for a liquid or surface to heat up, the metal must be magnetized. Good stainless steel (non-magnetic) or aluminum are not suitable: Foucault currents do not propagate in them. In addition to the fact that almost nothing needs to be done, 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 options presented for home-made induction heating boilers, two are not quite boilers (or not boilers at all - how to look). But at the same time, it is possible to heat the premises with their help. Methods with induction hob it is checked elementarily, it is especially simple for those who have such a tile. To increase heat transfer in the tile + radiator option, you can arrange a fan blower (if necessary). But how it works you need to check on your own experience.

In the process of planning the installation of a heating system in a country house or in country house many are trying to solve the problem of excessive energy costs by installing an induction heating boiler. In addition to saving electricity, its device is such that it allows you to do without harmful emissions into the environment and does not pose any danger during use. An important argument in its favor is the possibility of its independent design. In this article, we will consider what an induction heating boiler is: everything about the principle of operation + 2 do-it-yourself device options. In addition, its advantages over conventional electric boilers and gas units will become apparent to us.

The device of induction boilers

An inductor (transformer) is included in the basis of the internal structure of such a boiler. Ordinary household induction boilers are slightly different from similar industrial boilers with a cylindrical winding system. In compact domestic boilers, a copper winding of a toroidal type is used.

The outer casing of the unit is made of painted metal, followed by a thick layer of thermal and electrical insulation, inside of which there is a double-walled core. It is made of special ferromagnetic steel and has a wall thickness of at least 10 mm. The toroidal winding that is wound on the core is the primary winding. It is in it that the energy of the electric field is converted into a magnetic one, which creates eddy currents. Already their energy is transferred to the secondary winding. The body of the circuit acts as a secondary winding, which, under the influence of this energy, releases a large number of heat transferred to the coolant. Toroidal winding allows you to create units with low weight and dimensions.

The principle of operation of induction boilers

The standard package usually includes the boiler itself, an absolutely necessary semiconductor converter called an inverter, circuit breakers, electronic thermostat. The temperature sensor itself is located inside the boiler body.

The operation of induction boilers is based on the principle of electromagnetic induction. Its essence is that the electricity consumed from the network creates an electromagnetic field. The heat carrier is fed into the boiler through the water pipe, which is welded at the bottom. Alternating current with a frequency of 20 kHz is supplied to the boiler through an inverter. When this device is turned on, current flows through the toroidal winding of the boiler. At the same time, the steel core heats up to a temperature of 750 degrees in just 7 minutes.

The generated heat is transferred to the coolant circulating inside the circuit. Rapid heating of the liquid creates convection currents. This means that the heated coolant expands greatly and rushes up the boiler structure and further into the heating system itself. Often this is enough for the full-fledged operation of a domestic boiler with an average length of the heating circuit to take place. This method allows you to quickly heat the entire system, but for better circulation, you need to additionally install a conventional circulation pump.

Due to the application of the principle of magnetic induction, the heating of the coolant in such boilers is much faster than in units with heating elements, and heat losses are minimal. There is almost no scale on the core, no matter how hard and calcareous the water is.

This is because the eddy currents force the core to vibrate, preventing scale from forming. At the same time, bubbles boiling near his body clean the surface of the core. Due to the tightness of the entire system, the coolant takes the maximum (98%) amount of released thermal energy. Thus, these parameters greatly increase the efficiency of the boiler, which has a positive effect on its efficiency and service life.

Pros and cons of induction boilers

Induction boilers have a number of unconditional advantages over conventional boilers on heating elements:

Stable efficiency up to 99% for almost the entire period of operation.
The absence of heating elements, which significantly extends the life of the device.
The absence of moving elements, which completely eliminates mechanical wear and the need to replace components.
The absence of detachable internal connections does not give the possibility of leakage.
Full availability of work even with DC or low voltage in the network.
Very fast heating up to the necessary temperature of the heat carrier (5 - 7 min.).
A fairly high degree of electrical and fire safety, corresponding to class II due to the use of a core that is not directly connected to the inductor.
No need to install a chimney and provide a separate room for the boiler. To install this system, there is no need to attract highly qualified specialists.
The standard service life of the device is up to 25 years or even more. It directly depends on the tightness of the sealed outer seam and on the large thickness of the metal pipes for the core. He does not need any preventive work during the entire period of operation.
The boiler can use all available liquid heat carriers: oil, water, antifreeze, ethylene glycol without any preliminary preparation.
You can change the coolant outlet only once every 10 years.
Good protection against overheating and various accidents, noiselessness during operation.
The boilers are equipped with electronic automated control systems.
There is no scale inside the circuit.
The ability to connect the boiler to any heating systems closed type.
The minimum possible heating of the coolant is 35°С.

But induction boilers have disadvantages, as before others. heating appliances, as well as individual specific parameters.

Such boilers can only be connected to a closed heating circuit, very often with forced circulation of the coolant.
Sufficiently large weight of the boiler with a fairly small size. The weight of the 2.5 kW boiler is at least 23 kg with a total height of 45 cm and a diameter of 12 cm.
The price is higher than that of other boilers, which is due to the presence of an expensive part - an inverter.
Radio interference generated at a distance of several meters from the boiler in the long-wave, medium-wave and even VHF bands. They have no effect on human body, but they are well felt by pets and electronic equipment.

Installation of an induction boiler and a control system for it

Installation of such boilers is possible only in closed system heating. This requires an expansion tank-expansion tank and a pump for forced circulation of the coolant.

According to the instructions, the induction boiler is set strictly vertically. After that, the return pipe of the heating circuit is connected to the lower inlet pipe. The outlet is located at the top of the device (side or top). The supply pipeline is looped onto it.

The weight of the mounted boiler is quite serious, so the most special attention should be paid to the fasteners. They must be very reliable, taking into account the fact that during the operation of the boiler, its weight will increase significantly due to the coolant entering inside. The lateral distance from the boiler to surrounding objects and walls is 300 mm. The distance to the floor and ceiling is 800 mm or less. An important and obligatory condition for the installation of such boilers is their grounding. With it, it is possible to use both metal and metal-plastic pipes.

A group of safety devices is built in next to the outlet pipe: a blast valve, a pressure gauge, an air vent. The expansion tank is installed in a convenient section of the return pipe of the system. Shut-off valves mostly mounted after the security group.

The installation of the entire control system, as well as the boiler itself, must be carried out in accordance with the existing rules and regulations of the PUE, the diagrams and conditions contained in the technical passport supplied with the kit.

Examples of homemade designs

If you are not going to use an induction boiler for main heating in a private house, but want to equip a summer house or garage with it, then you can try to design it yourself. There are two options for how to do this.

First option

For its implementation, you will need pieces of plastic pipes and welding inverter. Having elementary knowledge in the field of physics and knowing how to use wire cutters, you can independently make an elementary induction model. To do this, you need to purchase an already created high-frequency welding inverter with continuously adjustable current power up to 15 amperes or even higher. For heating a large area, it is better to choose a much more powerful device. You will also need stainless steel wire rod or ordinary pieces of steel wire. This is necessary to play the role of a heated element. Their length is about 50 mm, with a diameter of 7 mm.

An important component is copper wire, which can be easily purchased at any thematic store. Do not use winding from old coils. The body, which is the basis of the induction coil, is also part of the pipeline, so it can be made from plastic pipe with thick walls. Its inner diameter should be 50 mm. Two outlet pipes are attached to this body for the inflow of cold and the return of hot coolant. All inner space the cases must be completely filled with pieces of wire and covered with a metal mesh so that they do not spill out.

The induction coil is made as follows: around the previously prepared plastic pipe, an enameled copper wire. It will take about 90 turns. The resulting homemade device required to be connected to the pipeline network. Cut out of the pipeline small plot pipes, and instead they install a home-made induction boiler. It is connected through an inverter and just run the water.

Second option

This option involves the use of a three-phase transformer with the possibility and fixation. In addition, you will also need a welding machine. To make the device, you need to weld two pipes so that they look like a donut in a section. This design performs both conductive and heating functions. Then the winding is wound directly on the boiler body in order to make it work more efficiently, despite its small weight and size. Here, a standard heating medium heating scheme is used: it receives a large amount of thermal energy in contact with the winding.

The manufacturing scheme of such a design is somewhat more complicated than in the first version. The boiler is equipped with two branch pipes, both for the inlet of the cold coolant and for the outlet of the heated one. If you come up with and independently build a protective casing, then you can minimize heat loss.

Features of self-installation and operation of home-made boilers

As in the case of factory-made boilers, only a closed-type heating system can be suitable for installing a home-made induction installation. It must include centrifugal pump, which creates a constant circulation of the coolant inside the heating system. The plastic pipelines common today are the best suited for installing a homemade induction boiler. All regulations relating to the installation of store boilers must be fully observed in this case as well. If you install controls and safety devices on the system, then your home-made installation will not be much inferior to its factory counterparts.

Although it is quite difficult to make such a device, and it is better not to take on this business without having “direct hands”, it is a pleasure to operate it. After all, along with ease of use, we also get serious energy savings.

Does it induction circuit heating the coolant any real benefits? How economical is it compared to heating elements? How does an induction boiler work? Is it difficult to assemble it yourself? Let's try to answer these questions.

In the photo - a homemade induction boiler.

What it is

The essence of the phenomenon of electromagnetic induction, discovered by Michael Faraday in 1831, is that in a conductor placed in a magnetic field, electricity. The effect, in particular, formed the basis of the principle of operation of any modern transformer.

If two insulated windings are wound around a ferromagnetic core and applied to one of them, say, 220 volts, then a voltage will appear on the second that relates to these 220 volts in the same way as the number of turns of the secondary winding relates to the number of turns of the primary.

From the transformer windings, you can remove the voltage with the necessary characteristics and use it to operate the electric motor or electronics. But what if a ferromagnet not connected to anything is placed in a winding that generates eddy currents?

Obviously, the emerging EMF (electromotive force) is completely converted into the kinetic energy of the movement of its molecules. In other words, heat.

Help: this is how induction works cookers and melting furnaces in steel mills.

Thus, at the output we will get ready.

It is only necessary to solve a few technical problems:

Choose a core made of non-corrosive material.
Isolate it from the coil, while ensuring the tightness of the structure.
Make sure that the coil itself does not overheat when large currents pass through it.

Advantages of the induction circuit

As a rule, the price of factory-made induction boilers is on average noticeably higher than that of heating elements, and starts from 20-25 thousand rubles with a 4-kilowatt device power.

Model	Electrical power, W	Cost, rubles	Manufacturer	Heating area
VIN-5	4250	27000	Russia	60-150
Indicator	4000	18000	Ukraine	200
Edison-5	5000	35000	Europe	100-120
INERA SAV	4500	30000	Russia	50-80

As a justification for the higher cost, manufacturers and sellers give two arguments:

The induction boiler is more durable compared to the heating element analogue.
It provides significant (up to 40-50%) energy savings, which will allow the costs to quickly pay off.

Let's try to evaluate the veracity of both statements.

Durability

Claims that the induction design is exceptionally fault-tolerant and durable are absolutely true.

The reasons?

There are no moving parts in the boiler. If so, the mechanical wear of the structure is completely absent.
It is spared from the main problem of heating elements - liming of heating elements. Lime scale gradually insulates the tubular heaters and leads to their overheating.

It is curious: when excited in the core of the eddy current inductor, it barely vibrates, which contributes to self-cleaning of the surface.

Economy

Let's remember the basics of physics.

From the point of view of Sir Isaac Newton, energy does not go anywhere and does not come from anywhere. A perpetual motion machine is impossible; to heat a fixed volume of air by 10 degrees, you need to spend a strictly defined amount of thermal energy, regardless of the design of the heater.

In any transformation of energy of any type, it ultimately either does physical work (that is, it moves an object with a non-zero mass against the gravitational vector), or is used to heat the environment.

We emphasize: the efficiency of any electrical appliance direct heating is equal to 100%.

All spent electricity is completely converted into heat; for 1 kW of electrical power, you can get 1 kW of heat.

Thus, the only thing that could theoretically explain the supposedly higher efficiency of an induction boiler is less heat dissipation in the environment.

This argument does not stand up to scrutiny:

When the boiler is installed in a heated room, the heat not absorbed by the coolant is still consumed for heating.

50% less heat loss with comparable or worse thermal insulation of the boiler body looks, to put it mildly, doubtful.

The conclusions are clear:

The market value of induction devices is unduly inflated.
Their efficiency - as one of the heroes of Bulgakov said, a typical case of the so-called lies. The electrical power of the device is selected based on the standard 40 watts per cubic meter of heated space. Trying to heat a 200-meter house with a 4-kilowatt appliance will only lead the recent buyer to realize that he was too naive.

crazy hands

Despite the heaps of misinformation, the induction scheme itself is more than justified in life. The inflated market value quite naturally leads to the idea of manufacturing induction heating boilers with your own hands. How to do it?

Frame

It should be:

Dielectric.
Strong enough.
Allowing hermetically connect it to the heating circuit.

The simplest and most obvious solution is polypropylene pipe 40 millimeters in diameter. Ideally, with fiber reinforcement, which will have a very positive effect on the strength qualities of the hull.

Winding

In order to isolate the inductor that heats up when power is applied from thermoplastic polypropylene, it is desirable to stick several textolite strips over the case. What to glue? The simplest and most obvious solution is silicone sealant: It has acceptable adhesion to plastics and tolerates moderate heat very well.

An important point: it is better to take sealants from eminent manufacturers (Ceresit, Moment, etc.).
Cheap sealants differ from them primarily in their much worse adhesion to problem surfaces, which, of course, include smooth.

The coil itself is wound with copper enameled wire with a diameter of about 1.5 millimeters (section 2.25 mm2). The total length of the winding should be 10-15 meters. It is better to apply coils with a small constant gap.

Core

What should it be?

Conductive. Eddy currents will not be induced in the dielectric.
ferromagnetic. A diamagnet will not interact with an electromagnetic field.
Stainless. Corrosion in a closed heating circuit is clearly of no use to us.

Here are some possible solutions.

Screw auger tightly fitting into the pipe. Moving along the grooves in it, the water will take away the maximum heat.
Chopped stainless steel wire. It is not very convenient in that the makeshift boiler will have to be limited on both sides with a metal mesh.
Hedgehogs rolled from nichrome wire, tightly inserted into the pipe.
Finally, the most simple instruction: in the same way, metal (stainless) washcloths for dishes can be placed in the pipe.

After the core has taken its place, the boiler is supplied on both sides with adapters from polypropylene with a diameter of 40 mm to DU20 or DU25 threads. They will not allow the core to fall out and will allow the boiler to be mounted in any circuit, leaving the connections collapsible.

Power converter

What will happen if we simply connect the inductor wound by us to the outlet?

Let's do a simple calculation.

The specific resistance of a copper conductor at +20C is 0.175 Ohm*mm2/m.
With a cross section of 2.25 mm and a length of 10 meters, the total resistance of the coil will be 0.175 / 2.25 * 10 \u003d 0.7 Ohm.
Therefore, when 220 volts is applied to the conductor, a current of 220 / 0.7 \u003d 314 A will flow through it.

For comparison: when calculating wiring for copper, the cross section is selected at the rate of 10 A / mm2.

The result is a little predictable: when a current is applied more than 10 times higher than the calculated one, our conductor will simply melt.

The obvious solution is to lower the supply voltage. The converter must be powerful enough to give at least 2.5 - 3 kilowatts.

A ready-made converter of such power can be a welding inverter with current control. Adjustment will not only protect the winding from overheating, but also allow you to smoothly adjust the effective power of the heating boiler. With an inverter output voltage of 80 volts, the maximum safe power for the winding temperature will be about 2 kW.

Expenses

Of any significant costs, it is worth mentioning perhaps a welding inverter (from 6,000 rubles) and a soldering iron for polypropylene (from 1,000 rubles). A maximum of 1000 will fit all other purchases.

Conclusion

Induction water heaters are good because they consume the least amount of electricity compared to other options for electric boilers for heating. However, not everyone can afford such pleasure, especially for use on summer cottages which are rarely visited. This is due to the high price of products, which can vary from 25 to 100 thousand rubles. In order to still please yourself with such an electric heater and at the same time save your own money, we recommend making an induction boiler with your own hands. Read on to find out how to assemble at home!

Idea #1 - Simple Vortex Heater

First of all, get acquainted with how this heating option works and what are its advantages over alternative options boilers. All questions will be answered by the video below!

Description of the advantages and principle of operation of induction water heaters

From the materials for making homemade products you will need:

Plastic pipe with an inner diameter of not more than 50 mm.
Steel wire, with a diameter of not more than 7 mm.
2 adapters for connection to heating system(pipes).
Metal mesh with small cells.
Enamelled copper wire.
High frequency inverter.
insulating material.

Having prepared all the materials, you can proceed to the assembly of the induction boiler with your own hands. First of all, cut the steel wire into 5 cm pieces. After that, close one of the sides of the plastic pipe with a mesh and put the chopped wire inside. The amount of material should be such that the volume of the homemade product is completely “clogged” with wire. Further, the second end is closed with a metal mesh, which will prevent the wire from spreading through the heating system.

When the filling is prepared, it is necessary to independently make connection points for a home-made whirlpool boiler to the heating main. To do this, adapters are fixed on both sides of the pipe by welding or threaded connection.

Next, you need to make the heating element of the device yourself - an induction coil. All that is needed is to wind about 90-100 turns of copper wire over the pipe. Be sure to observe the pitch between the turns so that the homemade induction boiler works evenly. After complete winding, the ends of the copper wire are connected to the inverter and, finally, the boiler body can be assembled and insulated with a suitable thermal and electrically conductive material.

Starting a home-made heater must be done only after connecting to the coolant - water. If you turn on the inverter without water in the case, the pipe will instantly melt and all your efforts will be in vain.

That's the whole instruction that allows you to make an induction boiler from improvised means at home. Such a homemade product can be installed on any part of the heating system, but due to its not very attractive appearance, we recommend hiding it away from the eyes.

You can clearly see the principle of operation of the device in this photo:

As you can see, the core inside is red-hot, which is due to the influence of an electromagnetic field. We advise you to view the tests of the assembled device on a video example:

The action of the electromagnetic field

Idea #2 - More powerful machine

To make a powerful induction boiler with your own hands, you just need to be able to use welding. In fact, the assembly technology is not too complicated and any self-taught electrician can handle it, as you will see after reading.

So, from the materials you will need:

two pieces metal pipe different diameter;
copper enameled wire;
two adapters for heating pipes (for supply and return);
heat-insulating casing;
three-phase inverter.

A drawing of a homemade heater is as follows:

As you can see, one pipe must be welded inside the other to make a hollow tank in the form of a cylinder. Also, using a welding machine, you need to “embed” two nozzles into the supply container cold water and output hot to the heating system.

Next, as shown in the diagram above, it is necessary to wind the copper wire around the body of the induction boiler. The winding, as you understand, will serve as a heating element and, in contact with the coolant, will heat it up. On top of the created structure, it is necessary to pull a heat-insulating cover, then open the water supply and test the system.

The owners of private houses have many options for equipping the heating system. But most often the choice falls on induction boilers. And this is not surprising, because such an installation has a number of advantages. Externally, an induction electric boiler is somewhat reminiscent of a transformer installation. There are no heating elements. Water heating occurs by means of electromagnetic induction.

About what electric induction heating boilers are, what advantages they have and how to make them with your own hands, and will be discussed in this article.

The high popularity of induction type boilers is due to their advantages. Among the main ones can be called economy. The installation allows you to save electrical energy. By equipping a heating system with an electric boiler, you can forget about the need for regular replenishment of fuel supplies. What can not be said about systems with liquid fuel and.

Induction electric boilers work silently. The device does not emit any harmful substances and is environmentally friendly. An advantage can also be called the fact that the electric coil is isolated and does not come into contact with the coolant. This means that there is no possibility of leakage.

The induction device is durable and safe.

In addition, such equipment can be quite simply done on your own.

What is needed to make a boiler?

Thus, the advantages of induction-type boilers abound. But there is one drawback - the high cost. But this shortcoming can be easily corrected. After all, it is not difficult to make an induction boiler with your own hands.

The cost of installing induction equipment quickly pays off due to high efficiency and electrical safety.

Having made drawings for an induction boiler with your own hands, you can easily and quickly create an economical and effective system home heating.

In order to build an induction type boiler, you will need the following tools and materials:

Thus, no special and expensive tools and materials are required to create an induction device. All necessary equipment and every owner probably has the materials. Having made drawings for an induction heating boiler with your own hands, you can eventually get a heat generator that is quite economical in operation and cheap to create and install.

Algorithm for creating an induction boiler

Having prepared all the tools, materials, you can get to work. At first it may seem that it is not easy to make an induction boiler on your own. But in fact, it's not difficult at all. The main thing is to stick to the algorithm and follow the rules.

In order to make a boiler based on an induction stove, you must perform the following work:

To make the operation of the equipment safer, it is better to insulate the open areas of the copper coil. When choosing an insulator, thermal and electrical conductivity should be taken into account. You can read about other homemade products for heating.

Homemade induction boiler - reality

Thus, do-it-yourself induction heating boilers are made very simply. In addition, the price of a homemade boiler is cheap. The only drawback of such a unit is unsightly appearance and small sizes. But by installing such a boiler, you can immediately feel the positive effect of its work, the heating rate of the coolant in the heating network increases significantly.