EcoRenovator - View Single Post - Why You Should Not Use Induction Cooking Technology

Exeric · 04-03-13, 05:45 PM

The difference relates to the speed with which pots are brought up to working heat. Although there is some efficiency increase with inductance stoves using magnetic fields most of the speed of temperature increase has to do with increased power usage during the ramp up to that temperature.

Try to think of pulses of electricity instead of average current. During the ramp up to temperature there is one long high power pulse. If a regular electric stove takes 5 minutes to get to heat and the inductive stove takes 2 minutes its not because the inductive stove is 250% more efficient. Most of it, not all, is due to increased power flow during that 2 minutes on the inductive stove.

Since peak power usage for a utility is mostly a statistical phenomonon averaged over millions of customers it stands to reason that the "statistical tail" effect of unusual short time span, higher power usage will become more likely. This is especially true since people traditionally cook simultaneously within an hour or hour and a half window within a time zone. In effect, the statistical probability of an overload to the utility mirrors the individual increase in shorter time span, increased power usage in a customers use of an inductive stove.

04-03-13, 05:45 PM	#8
Exeric Apprentice EcoRenovator Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: California Posts: 274 Thanks: 19 Thanked 37 Times in 28 Posts	The difference relates to the speed with which pots are brought up to working heat. Although there is some efficiency increase with inductance stoves using magnetic fields most of the speed of temperature increase has to do with increased power usage during the ramp up to that temperature. Try to think of pulses of electricity instead of average current. During the ramp up to temperature there is one long high power pulse. If a regular electric stove takes 5 minutes to get to heat and the inductive stove takes 2 minutes its not because the inductive stove is 250% more efficient. Most of it, not all, is due to increased power flow during that 2 minutes on the inductive stove. Since peak power usage for a utility is mostly a statistical phenomonon averaged over millions of customers it stands to reason that the "statistical tail" effect of unusual short time span, higher power usage will become more likely. This is especially true since people traditionally cook simultaneously within an hour or hour and a half window within a time zone. In effect, the statistical probability of an overload to the utility mirrors the individual increase in shorter time span, increased power usage in a customers use of an inductive stove.