High ceramic core energy storage inductor

What is a ceramic inductor core?

Ceramic is one of the common materials used for inductor cores. Its main purpose is to provide a form for the coil. In some designs it also provides the structure to hold the terminals in place. Ceramic has a very low thermal coeficient of expansion. This allows for relatively high inductance stability over the operating temperature ranges.

Why do ceramic inductors have a low permeability?

Ceramic has a very low thermal coeficient of expansion. This allows for relatively high inductance stability over the operating temperature ranges. Ceramic has no magnetic properties. Thus, there is no increase in permeability due to the core material. Ceramic core inductors are often referred to as “air core” inductors.

What makes a good power inductor?

A carefully considered power inductor is often a key design element to achieve a small, efficient, and cost-effective converter. For many inductor applications, powder cores are clearly superior compared with alternative core materials, such as ferrites or steel laminations.

What is the most exotic material for a power inductor?

The most exotic material is cobalt-iron-vanadium (supermendur), reaching up to 2.2T. There is nothing higher. The power inductor gap may be realized in one of two fashions, discrete or distributed. Distributed gap materials are powder cores.

Are powder cores better than other inductor materials?

For many inductor applications, powder cores are clearly superior compared with alternative core materials, such as ferrites or steel laminations. The designer has many choices in powder core materials and shapes, each offering trade-offs among loss performance, cost, size, and ease of winding.

How do power inductors work?

Power inductors require the presence of an air gap within the core structure. The purpose of the gap is to store the energy, and to prevent the core from saturating under load. Another way to express the function of the air gap is to say that it reduces and controls the effective permeability of the magnetic structure.