| Abstract |
Ferrite-core inductors are largely used in switch-mode power supplies (SMPSs) and can be fruitfullyexploited also when working in partial saturation. The choice of a specific component depends on many factors, often requiring a trade-off between conflicting needs. In this paper a nonlinear inductance model for a whole family of ferrite-core inductors is proposed. An inductor family includes components with the same magnetic core and a different number of windings, which determines the nominal inductance. The proposed model, which includes magnetic saturation and dependence on the average inductor power loss, is exploited to evaluate the impact of the nominal inductance on the current ripple and power loss, in the SMPS design. A Pareto frontier is identified, which allows selecting optimal values of the nominal inductance, by trading off power loss and current ripple. |
