Integrated Inductor Magnetic Core With Shared High Permeability Regions
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Solution Overview
Problem
In switching mode power supplies, magnetic components occupy significant volume and contribute to losses, making it challenging to achieve high efficiency and power density simultaneously.
Innovation Solution
An integrated magnetic core with multiple inductor windings and magnetic core units, where neighboring units share a magnetic core part made of high permeability material and non-shared parts have lower permeability sections, such as air gaps, to minimize reluctance and core loss.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the volume of magnetic components is increased to decrease magnetic induction strength and prevent saturation, then reliability is improved, but volume increases and power density decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The magnetic core is divided into different regions with different material properties: high permeability material in shared regions and low permeability material in non-shared regions. This local differentiation allows the shared regions to efficiently conduct magnetic flux while non-shared regions provide magnetic decoupling, preventing saturation without requiring overall volume increase
Solution Approach 2:
The magnetic core is segmented into multiple magnetic core units with distinct functional zones. Each unit has non-shared parts with low permeability material for magnetic isolation and shared parts with high permeability material for flux conduction. This segmentation enables independent optimization of each region's magnetic properties to simultaneously achieve compact size and saturation prevention
2Volume of stationary object
If multiple inductors are integrated into a single magnetic core, then volume is reduced and power density increases, but magnetic flux interference between inductors increases
Solution Approach 1:
Different regions of the magnetic core have different permeability characteristics: high permeability in shared regions for flux conduction and low permeability in non-shared regions for magnetic isolation. This local quality differentiation allows multiple inductors to be integrated in a compact volume while preventing harmful magnetic interference between them
Solution Approach 2:
The non-shared magnetic core parts with low permeability material act as magnetic intermediaries or barriers between adjacent inductors. These intermediate regions provide magnetic decoupling, allowing the inductors to share the overall core structure while maintaining magnetic independence and preventing flux interference
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 design reduces core loss and allows for a more compact size while maintaining high efficiency by optimizing magnetic flux distribution and material usage.
Implementation Method 1
The magnetic core units include at least two kinds of material having different magnetic permeability corresponding to different sections of the magnetic core units, wherein the reluctance of the shared magnetic core part is smaller than the reluctance of a non-shared magnetic core part of the magnetic core units
Implementation Method 2
the reluctance of the shared magnetic core part is smaller than the reluctance of a non-shared magnetic core part
Data Source
AI summary
An integrated inductor apparatus integrated to be a plurality of inductors is provided. The integrated inductor apparatus includes inductor windings to form inductors and includes at least two windows each having at least one of the inductor windings disposed therein and magnetic core units, each having a closed geometrical structure to form one of the at least two windows, wherein two of the neighboring magnetic core units have a shared magnetic core part. The magnetic core units comprise at least two kinds of material having different magnetic permeability corresponding to different sections of the magnetic core units, wherein the reluctance of the shared magnetic core part is smaller than the reluctance of a non-shared magnetic core part of the magnetic core units.