UAV Power Control Module With Stacked Ferrite Cores
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional power transformers for applications like unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) face challenges due to their size and weight, which affect battery life and space constraints, as they are designed to handle higher loads than required, leading to excessive size and weight.
Innovation Solution
A power control module is designed with a stack of ferrite cores and continuous windings, where the ferrite cores are oriented with legs in opposite directions and the windings have folded sections, along with secondary windings and field effect transistors (FETs), to reduce size and weight while handling varying power draws.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If conventional wire sizing and insulation are used to handle higher loads, then temperature rise is reduced, but transformer size and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the wire configuration from conventional insulated wires to bare copper wire with increased surface area through folding and stacking arrangements. This parameter change allows for improved heat dissipation without requiring thicker insulation or larger wire gauges, thereby reducing overall transformer weight while maintaining temperature control.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a three-dimensional folded and stacked wire arrangement instead of traditional two-dimensional winding. By extending the wire path through multiple folds and stacks, the surface area for heat dissipation is dramatically increased without proportionally increasing the transformer's external dimensions or weight.
2Temperature
If ferrite cores are made large enough to accommodate conventional wire windings, then adequate cooling space is provided, but transformer size and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the wire winding structure with the ferrite core structure by integrating the folded and stacked wire arrangement directly within the core's magnetic path. This eliminates the need for separate cooling channels or additional space, as the wire configuration itself provides the necessary thermal management within the compact core volume.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a nested structure where multiple layers of folded wires are stacked within the ferrite core's magnetic circuit. The wires are nested within the core's geometric structure, maximizing the use of available space for both magnetic flux path and thermal dissipation without increasing overall transformer volume.
3Power
If conventional transformer design is used, then adequate power handling capacity is achieved, but size and weight increase affecting battery life
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses composite construction combining bare copper wire with high-permeability ferrite core materials. This composite approach allows for optimized magnetic coupling and reduced losses, enabling compact size and weight while maintaining adequate power handling capacity for the UAV application.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a dynamic wire configuration where the folded and stacked arrangement allows for optimized current distribution and reduced eddy current losses. The three-dimensional structure enables better utilization of the magnetic core, improving power handling efficiency per unit weight compared to conventional static winding arrangements.
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
The solution effectively reduces the size and weight of power control modules while maintaining the ability to handle different power demands, improving battery life and space efficiency in UAVs.
Implementation Method 1
a power transformer used to transform the battery voltage to required control voltages and/or motor drive voltages
Data Source
AI summary
A power control module and a method to create the power control module is provided. The power control module includes a plurality of transformers, wherein each transformer of the plurality of transformers includes a stack of ferrite cores comprising a plurality of ferrite cores and a continuous winding. The continuous winding has a plurality of turns through each ferrite core of the plurality of ferrite cores. The plurality of ferrite cores are oriented such that the plurality of ferrite cores are stacked together with legs of the plurality of ferrite cores oriented in opposite directions, and wherein the continuous winding comprises a folded section that extends between the plurality of ferrite cores of the stack of ferrite.