Induction cooktops instead of MOT?

[Downunder35m]

I did some reading on some possible hacks of induction cooktops.
With prices for single now low as every they even worth bying just to salvage parts.
But I was thinking of a different kind of hack.
All the hacks first aim on how start the thing without the buttons then how to heat some steel with it.

An induction cooktop checks if there really is a suitable pot on it before firing up at full power.
This basically is a check for the inductivity of the entire system being within the regulating range of the drive circuit.
We could create a transformer that meets similar requirements if we would have the right core material.
Luckily these things come with a bunch of identical ferrite blocks under the coil...
Creating a proper HV secondary coil for these frequencies can't be too hard.
If we could shape the provide ferrite blocks (if required) and use the existing litz wire to form a transformer we would have around 2000W available.
Output voltage would only be limited by transformer size and isolation qualities.

But I guess there will be a really good reason why noone tried this yet, just could not find it....

[Mads Barnkob]

Here is my quest to hack a induction cooltop: https://highvoltageforum.net/index.php?topic=104.0

and I am stuck in doing so, because these induction cooktops are much like the microwave ovens: built dirt cheap, pushes the single mains supply to the limit and are running on the brink of destruction.

So almost any little deviation from its design will destroy the single IGBT, as the the huge inductance the circuit needs to keep the current down is almost too much for any practical situation, unless perhaps to use it as a transformer driver as you suggest. I think I did try a huge ferrite core at some point, so just make it a transformer coupled induction heater, I blew up the IGBT

I could have built virtually any good half- / full-bridge inverter that would do a better job in half the time I spent looking at this unit, that is another nail in the coffin, I know that RogerInOhio managed to convert it into a Tesla coil, so maybe there is some information there for you: http://4hv.org/e107_plugins/forum/forum_viewtopic.php?180812

 

[Downunder35m]

Seems I am not alone when it comes to destroy otherwise healthy induction cooktops LOL
So yes, the transformer attempt is because I am getting sick and tired of seeing them smoke if too much modified or out of specs.
Same for sticking with the driver part as it is.
Better to have the failsafe kick in too many times than constantly blowing things up.

Will have a look what I find on information before starting.
Thanks for the link!