Nested Flat-Wound Transformer Windings for Variable Thickness
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current transformer designs have limited conductor fill factor, fixed winding thickness, and lack design flexibility, making it difficult to create high-power transformers with variable thickness and coil arrangements in reduced-sized packages.
Innovation Solution
The use of nested flat wound coils with inner and outer windings wound on different mandrels, allowing for variable thickness and multiple coil arrangements, enabling higher turn counts and higher power transformers in a lower profile package.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If printed circuit boards are used for windings, then manufacturing is simplified, but conductor fill factor is limited to approximately 35%
Solution Approach 1:
The winding structure is segmented into multiple independent flat wound coils that can be nested within each other. Each coil is wound separately on its own mandrel, allowing independent optimization of each winding layer. This segmentation enables the coils to be stacked vertically to achieve higher conductor fill factors while maintaining manufacturing simplicity through standardized coil production processes.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple flat wound coils are nested within each other in a vertical stacking arrangement, with smaller diameter coils positioned inside larger diameter coils. This nesting configuration maximizes the use of available magnetic core window space, increasing the conductor fill factor from 35% to over 60% while maintaining a compact transformer structure.
2Device complexity
If traditional windings are used, then structure is simple, but design flexibility for variable thickness and coil arrangements is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The transformer design employs dynamic coil configurations where the number, thickness, and arrangement of flat wound coils can be varied to meet different power and electrical specification requirements. Designers can select from multiple coil combinations and nesting arrangements to optimize performance for specific applications, providing adaptability while maintaining relatively simple individual coil structures.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the transformer winding structure can have different coil specifications, including varying wire thicknesses, turn counts, and nesting arrangements tailored to local electrical requirements. This allows optimization of specific winding sections for different electrical stresses and performance criteria while keeping other sections simpler.
3Power
If higher power transformers are designed, then power capacity increases, but transformer height increases
Solution Approach 1:
The design transitions from horizontal winding expansion to vertical stacking of nested coils, utilizing the vertical dimension more efficiently. By nesting coils vertically and stacking them along the magnetic core window height, the design achieves higher power capacity without proportionally increasing transformer footprint, effectively redistributing dimensions to optimize power density.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple coils are nested within each other vertically, with each nested coil contributing to the overall power capacity. This nesting arrangement allows higher power transformers to be achieved by increasing the number of nested coil layers rather than increasing individual coil sizes, thereby controlling the overall transformer height while increasing power capacity.
4Loss of energy
If fewer turns are used, then winding resistance decreases, but leakage inductance increases
Solution Approach 1:
The total number of turns is segmented across multiple nested coils rather than concentrated in a single winding. This segmentation allows the magnetic flux to be more uniformly distributed across multiple parallel paths, reducing leakage inductance while maintaining lower overall winding resistance through optimized turn distribution and parallel winding configurations.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple nested coils are electrically connected in parallel or series-parallel configurations, merging their individual contributions to achieve both low winding resistance and controlled leakage inductance. The combined effect of multiple nested windings creates more efficient magnetic coupling and reduces harmful leakage inductance while distributing the total turn count to minimize resistive losses.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration achieves higher turn counts, increased power capacity, and improved copper density, allowing for higher current capability and reduced leakage inductance, while enabling more efficient use of magnetic core space.
Implementation Method 1
a varying current in the transformer's primary winding creates a varying magnetic flux in the transformer core and a varying magnetic field impinging on the transformer's secondary winding. This varying magnetic field at the secondary winding induces a varying EMF or voltage in the secondary winding due to electromagnetic induction
Implementation Method 2
Transformers rely on Faraday's Law and high magnetic permeability core properties, to efficiently change AC voltages from one voltage level to another
Data Source
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AI summary
An electro-magnetic device is provided, including a first winding set of nested windings, and a second winding set of nested windings positioned adjacent to the first winding set. A method of making an electro-magnetic device including a first winding set of nested windings, and a second winding set of nested windings positioned adjacent to the first winding set is also provided.