Material Selection of Induction Cookware based on Multi Criteria Decision Making Methods (MCDM)

Abstract

Ecuador has started a national project focus on a new model of energetic management so as to reduce the Ecuadorian dependency on fossil fuels. With this purpose in mind, the government has disposed to replace liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cookers for induction cookers. This will contribute to decrease the consumption of LPG, emission of toxic fumes and multidimensional poverty index (MPI). In contrast, the Ecuadorian quality of life (EQOL) and the global efficiency of the energetic system will improve. This paper was developed to determine the correct material which can efficiently interact with magnetic fields at low cost.

Multi decision making methods (MCDM) are analytical tools employed to judge the right alternative of a set of possibilities. According to the number of alternatives and criteria of this problem, MCDM appears as an evaluation approach that can ease the selection of materials for induction cookware.

The MCMD methods implemented are AHP, EXPROM2, COPRAS-G, TOPSIS and VIKOR, all of them have been compared to validate the best alternative. The analysis process consists on collecting information about the properties of the material and his weight respect to the others to generate a normalized matrix that relate the dependency among criteria.

The results prove that the steel A677 is the best material, of a set of 8 alternatives with 8 analysis criteria, to be applied as induction cookware.