Magnetics Utilization Vs. Converter Topology: A Little Extra Silicon Goes A Long Way

Focus:

One of the goals of magnetics design is to achieve the greatest utilization possible from a magnetic component. Utilization, U, is defined quantitatively based on waveforms, as the average value of current (or voltage) divided by the peak value of current (or voltage). U expresses the extent to which a component is able to deliver the desired quantity, the average, relative to the maximum of that quantity that it must handle, or the peak rating. The extent to which the ideal value U = 1 can be achieved depends on the circuit. This article examines four popular isolated power supply topologies—the flyback, forward, full bridge and half bridge converters—to see the impact each has on utilization of the transformer. A study of the current flows and their duty ratios explains why transformer utilization is higher or lower in certain topologies. The costs of achieving the higher utilization (additional power switches and capacitors) and other design tradeoffs are discussed.

What you’ll learn:

• How to understand the impact of power converter topology on transformer utilization
• How to understand the design tradeoffs required to achieve high utilization of the transformer in an isolated power supply circuit

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Author & Publication:

Dennis Feucht, Innovatia Laboratories, Cayo, Belize, How2Power Today, Oct 17 2019

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