Currently funded project

Induction heatable ceramics and porcelain (InBaKuP)

Motivation

function, induction cookers, ceramics, plate
© Bammel 2008

Heating dishes by induction makes it possible to keep food warm directly on the plate or other serving vessel in an energy-saving and hygienic way or to heat it up specifically before consumption. This option is increasingly being used in the restaurant and catering sector and in larger facilities such as hospitals or nursing homes. The induction tableware currently available on the market uses only metallic layers for coupling to the electromagnetic field, which must be subsequently applied to the non-conductive porcelain or other ceramic tableware. The very different expansion coefficients of metal and porcelain limit the
so far the applicability of induction cookware.

 

 

Objective

Plate with elaborately applied silver layer: The plate consists of the basic body, the so-called body, the first glaze layer, the silver layer and a second glaze layer
© BHS tabletop GmbH
Plate with elaborately applied silver layer: The plate consists of the basic body, the so-called body, the first glaze layer, the silver layer and a second glaze layer

The project will develop ceramic products that can be heated by electromagnetic induction without the use of metallic components.
Instead of the silver layers used so far, which require an additional work step (decorating with a metal layer and decor firing), purely ceramic materials are to be developed for the inductive heating effect.
This should make inductive heating products not only cheaper (due to cheaper raw materials and higher energy efficiency in production), but also much more flexible in functionality and design.

Approach

Material concepts: Schematic representation for simplified modelling of induction heating (left) and principle sketches for three variants of possible material concepts for induction heating of ceramics (right)
© Fraunhofer-Centre HTL
Material concepts: Schematic representation for simplified modelling of induction heating (left) and principle sketches for three variants of possible material concepts for induction heating of ceramics (right)

The sub-project worked on at the HTL comprises the following work steps:

  • Systematic material selection using databases and thermodynamic calculations (Software FactSage)
  • Calculations and simulations of local inductive energy input for core-shell particles (magnetic / electrically conductive)
  • Finite-element simulations of heating effect, heat flows and resulting thermal stresses in porcelain vessels depending on the material concept for inductive heating
  • Tests for the production of inductively heatable ceramic samples
  • Experiments to characterise the energy input by induction into the produced samples

 

Project Data

Project Duration 01.07.2020 - 31.12.2023
Sponsor Bavarian State Ministry of Economic Affairs, Regional Development and Energy
Funding Amount 250,000 Euro
Project Partners Fraunhofer-Centre HTL
BHS tabletop GmbH
Project Coordination Fraunhofer-Centre HTL
Project Management at the HTL Dr. Gerhard Seifert