Measurement of working coil temperature in electromagnetic forming processes by means of optical frequency domain reflectometry

Joule heating losses in the working coil of up to 50% make thermal loads a crucial influencing factor on the coil lifetime in electromagnetic forming processes. Thus, especially in case of discharge sequences with short cycle times knowledge about the temperature distribution is essential to avoid thermal overstressing. This paper presents an approach for temperature measurement inside the working coil during the electromagnetic forming process. Based on fiber-based optical frequency domain reflectometry (OFDR), the spatio-temporal temperature distribution inside the coil is determined. Temperature profiles for long-term discharge sequences are provided. The results prove the qualification of this measurement technique for electromagnetic forming processes. Due to the comparatively high acquisition rate the temperature increase and drop between two discharges can be analyzed in detail. This renders new possibilities for process analysis and monitoring. Especially the effectiveness of approaches aiming at a decrease of thermal loading can be rated easily using the presented measurement technique.