Electromagnetic Modeling Framework of Thermal Systems for Real-Time Hardware-in-the-Loop Simulations

This paper presents a methodology for embedding coupled electromagnetic–thermal finite element (FE) models into a hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) platform to enable real-time prototyping of control strategies for advanced heating systems. The framework combines frequency-domain electromagnetic modeling and time-domain thermal simulation within a physics-based digital twin executed on real-time hardware. Electromagnetic simulations generate impedance maps as functions of coil–workpiece positions, which are parameterized into equivalent lumped circuit models for efficient converter-level simulation. In parallel, the thermal FE solver operates directly on the hardware simulator, accelerating the computation of the heated object’s energy transfer and thermal dynamics. The approach is validated through an induction-heating case study, demonstrating that integrating finite element modeling into a real-time simulator enables the realistic evaluation of energy conversion, control algorithms, and detection logic in complex electrothermal systems.