What is a Power Inductor?
A power inductor is an inductor used in electronic circuits, mainly used to store and release energy, which can smooth current or provide power filtering. This power inductor is widely used in electronic circuits, especially DC-DC converters and switching power supplies. Its main function is to store energy, release energy when needed, filter, oscillate, etc.
Power inductors can be divided into two types, chip inductors and plug-in inductors, which are mainly composed of three main materials, magnetic core, magnetic cover, and copper wire. The magnetic core usually uses ferrite, which is sintered at high temperature by high magnetic permeability iron manganese zinc, nickel zinc and other components. Copper wire is divided into enameled copper, copper clad aluminum, etc. In order to extend the life of the chip inductor, high temperature resistant pure copper wire is required.
Generally speaking, the inductor in the electronic circuit is a hollow coil or a coil with a magnetic core, which can only withstand lower voltage and smaller current; power inductors also have hollow coils and coils with magnetic cores. Its main function is to store energy and release it when needed to smooth current or provide power filtering.
What are the Characteristics and Uses of Power Inductors:
Energy Storage Function: Power inductors are able to store electrical energy, similar to capacitors, but they store electrical energy in the form of magnetic fields rather than charges. This enables them to smooth current waveforms and reduce voltage and current spikes in power systems.
Inductance Value: The inductance value of power inductors is usually measured in Henry (H), usually in the range of microhenry (µH) to millihenry (mH), depending on the application requirements.
Low Resistance: In order to reduce power loss and heat loss during energy transfer, power inductors usually have low resistance characteristics to improve efficiency.
Current Capacity: Power inductors are designed to handle large currents and therefore have a large current capacity to withstand the rated current load.
Switching Power Supply: Power inductors are widely used in switching power supplies and DC-DC converters. They help stabilize the output voltage, reduce power supply noise, and improve power supply efficiency.
Power Supply Filtering: In the power supply filtering circuit, power inductors are used to remove high-frequency noise and ensure that the power supply ripple voltage remains at an acceptable level.
(★If you want to know more about power inductors, you can refer to the following article: •Analysis Of Surface Mount Power Inductor Failure Causes In Practical Applications)
In summary, power inductors play an important role in power management, communication equipment, electronic products, industrial control and other fields, helping to ensure the stability and performance of circuits. Selecting the right power inductor is crucial for power supply design for a specific application, and usually requires considering parameters such as inductance value, current capacity, and package type.
