Internally cooled magnetic rotor for heating a substrate

1 . A heating system for a metal strip, the heating system comprising:

a magnetic rotor comprising:

a rotor body rotatable about an axis of rotation and defining a chamber, the chamber having an inlet and an outlet, wherein the rotor body defines a coolant flow path within the chamber from the inlet to the outlet, and wherein the rotor body is configured to receive a coolant within the chamber; and

at least one magnet supported on an outer surface of the rotor body, wherein the magnetic rotor is positioned adjacent a pass line of the metal strip moving in a processing direction and is configured to heat the metal strip moving in the processing direction, wherein the axis of rotation of the rotor body is perpendicular to the processing direction;

a coolant supply in fluid communication with the magnetic rotor such that the coolant is selectively provided into the chamber of the rotor body;

a sensor configured to detect at least one characteristic of the magnetic rotor system, wherein the at least one characteristic comprises at least one of a temperature gradient of the magnetic rotor or a temperature gradient of the coolant within the chamber; and

a controller communicatively coupled to the sensor, wherein the controller is configured to control the magnetic rotor system based on the at least one characteristic detected by the sensor by controlling at least one of the pressure of the coolant exiting the magnetic rotor, the pressure of the coolant entering the magnetic rotor, the temperature of the coolant entering the magnetic rotor, the temperature of the coolant exiting the magnetic rotor, or the flow rate of the coolant through the chamber.

2 . The heating system of claim 1 , wherein the coolant supply comprises at least one tank, and wherein the at least one tank is at a position vertically above the magnetic rotor.

3 . The heating system of claim 1 , wherein the magnetic rotor further comprises a supply extension within the chamber, wherein the supply extension is in fluid communication with the inlet and is configured to supply the coolant at a predetermined location within the chamber offset from the inlet.

4 . The heating system of claim 1 , wherein the chamber extends beneath at least a portion of the outer surface.

5 . A heating system for a metal processing system, the heating system comprising:

a magnetic rotor comprising:

a rotor body rotatable about an axis of rotation, the rotor body defining an internal chamber configured to receive a coolant within the internal chamber;

and at least one magnet supported on an outer surface of the rotor body;

a sensor configured to detect at least one characteristic of the magnetic rotor system, wherein the at least one characteristic comprises at least one of a temperature gradient of the magnetic rotor or a temperature gradient of the coolant within the chamber; and

a controller communicatively coupled to the sensor, wherein the controller is configured to control the magnetic rotor system based on the at least one characteristic detected by the sensor by controlling at least one of the pressure of the coolant exiting the magnetic rotor, the pressure of the coolant entering the magnetic rotor, the temperature of the coolant entering the magnetic rotor, the temperature of the coolant exiting the magnetic rotor, or the flow rate of the coolant through the chamber;

wherein the magnetic rotor is positioned adjacent a pass line of a metal strip moving in a processing direction through the heating system and such that the magnetic rotor is configured to heat the metal strip moving in the processing direction through the heating system, and wherein the axis of rotation of the rotor body is perpendicular to the processing direction.

6 . The heating system of claim 5 , wherein the internal chamber comprises an inlet and an outlet, and wherein the rotor body defines a coolant flow path for the coolant within the internal chamber from the inlet to the outlet.

7 . The heating system of claim 6 , further comprising a supply extension within the chamber, wherein the supply extension is in fluid communication with the inlet and is configured to supply the coolant at a predetermined location within the internal chamber offset from the inlet.

8 . The heating system of claim 5 , wherein the supply extension is terminable at various intermediate locations within the internal chamber and inserts are separate components that are removably retained within the chamber and configured to support the supply extension within the chamber.

9 . The heating system of claim 5 , wherein the at least one magnet comprises a plurality of permanent magnets.

10 . The heating system of claim 5 , further comprising at least one insert within the internal chamber, and wherein the at least one insert separates the internal chamber into a first sub-chamber and a second sub-chamber.