Experimental evaluation of losses in magnetic components for power converters

Optimization of copper and core losses is an important aspect of converter technology in the trend towards high frequency and high power density, ranging from high-frequency high-Q inductors in resonant converters, to high-power thyristor converters that impress complex current waveforms with significant harmonic content on line frequency transformers and electric machines. Core materials are obtained from manufacturers, so that a designer normally only has the optimization of conduction losses at his or her disposal, after having selected a suitable core material. The authors present a very versatile experimental method to measure losses in magnetic components. They discuss accurate measurement of conduction losses, separation of core and conduction losses, measurement at high frequencies, and scale modeling of magnetic components. The experimental measurements are compared to theoretical predictions of components as applicable to certain power electronic converters.<>