Surface-Mount Hybrid Swing Inductor for Staged Core Saturation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional swing-type inductor components face challenges in achieving high initial inductance and high DC bias current resistance while maintaining compact size and cost-effectiveness, especially in high-power, multi-phase power supply applications, where they are required to operate efficiently with varying current loads.
Innovation Solution
The development of hybrid swing-type inductor components using discrete magnetic core pieces made from different magnetic materials, strategically arranged and assembled around a conductive coil, allowing for multiple steps of inductance rolloff characteristics and optimized performance through the use of physical gaps, enabling efficient operation across a range of current loads.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional swing-type inductor components are used, then they can operate with varying current loads, but they cannot achieve both high initial inductance and high DC bias current resistance while maintaining compact size
Solution Approach 1:
The magnetic core is divided into multiple discrete core pieces (first core piece, second core piece, third core piece) with different magnetic properties. Each core piece contributes differently to the inductance characteristics, allowing the inductor to achieve high initial inductance while maintaining compact size and high DC bias current resistance through the combined effect of segmented cores with optimized individual properties.
2Area of stationary object
If the inductor size is reduced for compact applications, then package size decreases, but achieving high initial inductance and high DC bias current resistance becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
Different regions of the magnetic core are assigned different magnetic properties through the use of discrete core pieces made from different magnetic materials. The first core piece, second core piece, and third core piece each have locally optimized magnetic characteristics that contribute to achieving high initial inductance within a compact overall package, with each region performing its specific function in the magnetic circuit.
3Reliability
If conventional inductor designs are used, then manufacturing is simpler, but cost-effectiveness and performance in high-power applications are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The magnetic core is constructed using composite material principles by combining multiple discrete core pieces made from different magnetic materials. This composite core structure enables the inductor to achieve the performance required for high-power applications by leveraging the complementary properties of different magnetic materials, while the modular discrete piece construction facilitates manufacturing through standardized components.
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
These hybrid inductor components achieve high inductance and DC bias current resistance while maintaining a small footprint, offering improved performance and cost-effectiveness in high-power applications, such as multi-phase power supplies and power converters, with enhanced efficiency and reduced size.
Implementation Method 1
Current flow through a conductor in the inductor component generates a magnetic field that can be concentrated in a magnetic core. The magnetic field can, in turn, store energy
Implementation Method 2
The magnetic field can, in turn, store energy and release energy, cancel undesirable signal components and noise in power lines and signal lines of electrical and electronic devices
Data Source
AI summary
An inductor includes discrete magnetic core pieces fabricated from different magnetic materials having different magnetic properties. An inverted U-section conductive coil includes a top section and first and second legs to establish a surface mount connection to a circuit board, and the discrete magnetic core pieces are assembled around the inverted U-section conductive coil. The first and second discrete magnetic core pieces are operable to reach magnetic saturation at respectively different current loads applied to the coil when the circuit board is energized, imparting multiple steps of inductance rolloff response to a range of current loads.