Magnetic component with balanced flux distribution

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016148748-A1
Application number	US-201414550678-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 21, 2014
Priority date	Nov 21, 2014
Publication date	May 26, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An embodiment of an inductor assembly includes at least a first inductive loop with a first wire formed into a plurality of conductive windings around a first magnetic core section. The first magnetic core section includes at least a radially inner magnetic core portion with a first inner effective radius, R in ( 1 ), and a radially outer magnetic core portion with a first outer effective radius, R out ( 1 ). The radially inner magnetic core portion is formed from a first material having a first core maximum permeability value, M max ( 1 ). The radially outer magnetic core portion is formed from a second material having a first core minimum permeability value, M in ( 1 ), less than the first core maximum permeability value, M max ( 1 ). A single turn of each winding extends fully around both the first radially inner and outer core portions without passing between them.

First claim

1 . An inductor assembly comprising:
a first inductive loop comprising:
a first magnetic core section including at least a radially inner magnetic core portion with a first inner effective radius, R in ( 1 ), and a radially outer magnetic core portion with a first outer effective radius, R out ( 1 ), the radially inner magnetic core portion formed from a first material having a first core maximum permeability value, M max ( 1 ), and the radially outer magnetic core portion formed from a second material having a first core minimum permeability value, M min ( 1 ), less than the first core maximum permeability value, M max ( 1 ); and
a first wire formed into a plurality of conductive windings around the first magnetic core section, a single turn of each winding extending fully around both the first radially inner and outer core portions without passing between them.

2 . The inductor assembly of claim 1 , wherein a relationship between the first core maximum and minimum permeability values, M max ( 1 ) and M min ( 1 ), and the first inner and outer effective radii, R in ( 1 ) and R out ( 1 ), is:
0.90 ≦[M max (1)/ M min (1)]*[( R in (1)/ R out (1)]≦1.10.

3 . The inductor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first magnetic core section also includes at least one first intermediate magnetic core portion disposed annularly between the first radially inner and outer magnetic core portions, the at least one first intermediate magnetic core portion having a corresponding at least one first core intermediate permeability value, M i ( 1 ), between first core maximum and minimum permeability values, M max ( 1 ) and M min ( 1 ), such that:
M max (1)≦ M i (1)≦ M min (1).

4 . The inductor assembly of claim 3 , wherein the first magnetic core section includes a plurality of first intermediate magnetic core portions disposed annularly between the radially inner and outer magnetic core portions, each of the first intermediate magnetic core portions having a corresponding first core intermediate permeability value, M i ( 1 ), each first core intermediate permeability value, M i ( 1 ) having a stepwise difference from an adjacent first core intermediate permeability value, M i ( 1 ), such that the plurality of first core intermediate permeability values, M i ( 1 ), result in the first magnetic core section approaching a continuously variable permeability between the first radially inner and outer magnetic core portions.

4 . The inductor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first magnetic core section also includes an air gap disposed annularly between the radially inner and outer magnetic core portions.

5 . The inductor assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second inductive loop comprising:
a second magnetic core section including at least a radially inner magnetic core portion with a second inner effective radius, R in ( 2 ), and a radially outer magnetic core portion with a second outer effective radius, R out ( 2 ), the radially inner magnetic core portion formed from a third material having a second core maximum permeability value, M max ( 2 ), and the radially outer magnetic core portion formed from a fourth material having a second core minimum permeability value, M min ( 2 ), less than the second core maximum permeability value, M max ( 2 ); and
a second wire formed into a plurality of conductive windings around the second magnetic core section, a single turn of each winding extending fully around the second magnetic core section without passing between the radially inner and outer core portions; wherein a relationship between the second core maximum and minimum permeability values, M max ( 2 ) and M min ( 2 ), and the second inner and outer effective radii, R in ( 2 ) and R out ( 2 ), is:
0.90 ≦[M max (2)/ M min (2)]*[( R in (2)/ R out (2)]≦1.10.

6 . The inductor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first and second core portions are toroidal in shape.

7 . The inductor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first and second core portions are C-shaped.

8 . The inductor assembly of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first and second portions include at least one leg of an E-shaped core.

9 . A method of making an inductor assembly, the method comprising:
building a first magnetic core section including at least a radially inner magnetic core portion with a first inner effective radius, R in ( 1 ), and a radially outer core portion with a first outer effective radius, R out ( 1 ), the radially inner magnetic core portion formed from a first material having a first core maximum permeability value, M max ( 1 ), and the radially outer core portion formed from a second material having a first core minimum permeability value, M min ( 1 ), less than the first core maximum permeability value, M max ( 1 ); and winding a first wire into a plurality of conductive windings to form a first inductive loop such that a single turn of each winding extends fully around both the first radially inner and outer core portions without passing between them.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein a relationship between the first core maximum and minimum permeability values, M max ( 1 ) and M min ( 1 ), and the first inner and outer effective radii, R in ( 1 ) and R out ( 1 ), is:
0.90 ≦[M max (1)/ M min (1)]*[( R in (1)/ R out (1)]≦1.10.

11 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the step of forming a first magnetic core section further comprises:
disposing at least one first intermediate magnetic core portion annularly between the first inner and outer magnetic core portions, the at least one first intermediate magnetic core portion having a corresponding at least one first core intermediate permeability value, M i ( 1 ), between the first core maximum and minimum permeability values, M max ( 1 ) and M min ( 1 ), such that:
M max (1)≦ M i (1)≦ M min (1).

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the step of forming a first magnetic core section further comprises:
disposing a plurality of first intermediate magnetic core portions annularly between the inner and outer magnetic core portions, each of the plurality of first intermediate magnetic core portions having a corresponding first core intermediate permeability value, M i ( 1 ), each first core intermediate permeability value, M i ( 1 ) having a stepwise difference from an adjacent first core intermediate permeability value, M i ( 1 ), such that the plurality of first core intermediate permeability values, M i ( 1 ), result in the first magnetic core section approaching a continuously variable permeability radially between the first inner and outer magnetic core portions.

13 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the step of forming a first magnetic core section also includes annularly spacing the radially inner and outer magnetic core portions to form an air gap therebetween.

14 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the first and second core portions are toroidal in shape, C-shaped, or E-shaped.

15 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
building a second magnetic core section including at least a radially inner magnetic core portion with a second inner effective radius, R in ( 2 ), and a radially outer core portion with a second outer effective radius, R out ( 2 ), the radially inner magnetic core portion formed from a third material having a second core maximum permeability value, M max ( 2 ), and the radially outer core portion formed from a fourth material having a second core minimum permeability value, M min ( 2 ), less than the second core maximum permeability value, M max ( 2 ); and winding a second wire int

Assignees

• Hamilton Sundstrand Corp

Inventors

• Shen Miaosen

Classifications

• H01F3/10 Primary

  Composite arrangements of magnetic circuits · CPC title

• H01F27/24

  Magnetic cores · CPC title

• H01F27/2895 Primary

  Windings disposed upon ring cores · CPC title

• H01F27/2823

  Wires (H01F27/2866 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01F41/02

  for manufacturing cores, coils, or magnets (H01F41/14 takes precedence; for dynamo-electric machines H02K15/00) · CPC title