Optimal design methods for the uniform heating of tube ends for stress relieving

Purpose: An inductor for the uniform heating of the extremity of a ferromagnetic steel tube for stress relieving is considered. The main goal of the study is to investigate the possibility to achieve a reasonable design of the inductor when dealing with many design variables. Design/methodology/approach: Genetic optimization algorithms are used for this purpose, demonstrating the applicability of these techniques to the design of induction heating inductors. Genetic algorithms provide to the designer several optimal solutions belonging to Pareto Front, and this way they allow choosing the solution that better fits the technological requirements. In any case, the designer has to adapt the chosen solution to fit in with the real possibilities in industrial application. Findings: The study demonstrates that automatic optimization methods may help the designer of the induction heating system to solve complex problems with very conflicting technological requirements. Originality/value: In the paper, a problem with a high number of design variables is solved. Moreover, the goals of the optimization process are strongly conflicting, and the proposed problem is a challenging one.