PCB-Integrated Magnetic Coil Layout for Lower Eddy Current Loss
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing power conversion devices experience significant power losses and heat generation due to magnetic components, limiting their application to low-power devices and requiring bulky filters and cooling systems.
Innovation Solution
A magnetic component is integrated into a power converter with a coil on a printed circuit board (PCB), where trace widths and positions are varied to minimize eddy currents, and a floating conductive layer is used to dissipate heat, allowing scalability to higher power ratings.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a choke is used to filter high frequency content, then high frequency emissions are reduced, but power losses and heat generation increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the geometric parameters of the PCB traces (width, position, spacing) to optimize the magnetic component's performance. By varying trace widths and positions, the design reduces eddy currents while maintaining filtering capability, thereby reducing power losses without sacrificing emission reduction
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different trace widths at different locations within the coil structure. Inner traces near the opening have different dimensions than outer traces, creating local variations that reduce eddy currents in high-flux regions while maintaining overall filtering function
2Temperature
If the size of the core is increased to dissipate heat, then heat dissipation capacity improves, but the device becomes bulky and requires substantial space
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the magnetic core from a traditional bulky choke structure and integrates it directly into the PCB as a planar magnetic component. This integration eliminates the need for large external cores and heat sinks, achieving heat dissipation through the PCB structure itself while maintaining a compact form factor
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a three-dimensional core structure to a two-dimensional PCB-integrated magnetic component. By laying out the coil traces in multiple layers on the PCB plane, the design achieves the required magnetic function and heat dissipation capacity without requiring substantial vertical or horizontal space
3Power
If the current rating of conductors is increased to handle higher power, then power handling capacity improves, but the size of wires and core increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses multi-layer PCB traces instead of traditional wires to carry current. By distributing current across multiple copper layers and utilizing the PCB's planar structure, the design achieves high current ratings without requiring thick wires or larger cores, maintaining a compact component size
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the conductor function with the PCB structure itself. The PCB traces serve both as mechanical support and as the current-carrying conductors, eliminating the need for separate wire windings and reducing overall component size while maintaining power handling capacity
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 power losses and heat generation, enabling the magnetic component to be scalable to power converters with greater power ratings while minimizing size and cooling requirements.
Implementation Method 1
the dimensions of traces on a layer are varied within the coil to reduce eddy currents within the traces resulting from air-gap fringing flux
Implementation Method 2
a floating conductive layer is positioned between the coil and the core material
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for integrating a magnetic component within a power converter includes a coil integrated on a PCB. The PCB includes multiple layers and traces on each layer to form a single coil or to form multiple coils on the magnetic component. The PCB further includes at least one opening in the PCB through which a core component may pass, such that the magnetic component is defined by the coils and the core material. To reduce eddy currents built up within the traces, the dimensions of traces on a layer are varied and the position of traces between layers of the PCB are varied. The widths and locations of individual traces are selected to reduce coupling of the trace to leakage fluxes within the magnetic component. A floating conductive layer may also be provided to still further reduce the magnitude of eddy currents induced within the coil.