Determining Design Power Over An Input Voltage Range (Part 1): Maximum Inductor Power

Focus:

Designs are often rated based on a fixed input voltage, Vg but for many applications with a variable input voltage, the power requirements increase. This is typically the case with inductors and transformers used in power supply designs, and it results in oversizing or undersizing of these components. However, if the inductor and transformer transfer power are evaluated for a given PWM-switch configuration (boost, buck, or buck-boost), it’s possible to specify the device’s power rating more accurately and better optimize component size. This article series introduces a new concept dubbed design power, which is the product of the max current seen by the component across the voltage range and the max range voltage, and which can be used to optimally size transformers and inductors. Here in part 1, the author derives equations for the max transfer power for an inductor within the Vg range, and for determining the Vg at which this max power occurs. This will lead to derivation of the design power formulas for inductors in part 2, and for transformers in part 3. Part 2 also will explain how the design power formula relates to component size through the term AWW, window winding area.

What you’ll learn:

• How to understand the concept of design power as a new method of optimizing inductor and transformer size

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Author & Publication:

Dennis Feucht, Innovatia Laboratories, Cayo, Belize, How2Power Today, Nov 16 2020

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