Analytical Approach for Determining the Frequency-Dependent Characteristics of Multipath Conductive Structures

An analysis technique is presented that can be used to determine the current density, as well as the electric field and magnetic field distributions, within multipath conductive structures. A multipath conductor has several different conductive materials that are configured in parallel and carry a total known terminal current at a known frequency. The conductivity and permeability of the materials in the multipath conductor may take on arbitrary values. Knowledge of the different field and current distributions is important as it then becomes possible to determine the resistance and internal inductance of the multipath conductor as a function of frequency. The technique is initially developed for an arbitrary number of stacked planar conductors; however, it is also extended to multilayer coaxially arranged cylindrical conductors. Verification of the proposed technique is achieved through comparison against finite element method eddy current simulations as well as experimental structures and demonstrates excellent agreement.