Recently the use of “E” and “U” core shapes is gaining popularity for SiC applications. These new core shapes enable the use of flat-wire technology with automated assembly process improving efficiency and cost. But for these new core shapes, the Inductance factor (AL) value provided by the core manufacturer is accurate only for the reported test condition. Other winding arrangements can result in considerably different AL values. This discrepancy is high for low permeability cores. This digest aims to highlight this discrepancy, provide technical insights on expected performance and design trade-offs. Finite element analysis (FEA) is used to support this, and the results match experimental measurements on two mock inductors.
