NSF Award
2403926
This HBCU-Excellence in Research project aims to improve energy efficiency of power applications, such as electric vehicle chargers, DC distribution systems, and energy storage management systems by bringing transformative changes in the design and validation processes of the least energy efficient component in power electronics: inductors. This will be achieved by establishing a theoretical background and developing measurement methods for experimental separation of core and winding losses from the total magnetic loss for the first time. The intellectual merits of the project include closing a design loop for magnetics, enabling an in-situ and in-operation characterization of various magnetic losses (i.e., total magnetic loss, core loss, and winding loss), and establishing a new paradigm in magnetic loss measurement that "universal” measurement based on traditional electrical method is inadequate for precision power measurements. The broader impacts of the project include advancing the field of magnetics, improving the energy efficiency of power applications, thus minimizing carbon footprint, and enhancing the educational experience of HBCU and K-12 students. <br/><br/>Measuring magnetic loss in-situ and in-operation has been impractical because of unpredictable misalignment between the measurements’ timing axes. The proposed research directly aims to enable such measurements by mathematically and systematically identifying the relationship between the different timing axes in any custom circuit environment. The work will also isolate magnetic core loss from total loss measurement by utilizing an additional open-ended winding. Physically separating the core loss will allows one to understand how the material and geometric dimensions of a core impact energy efficiency and density. The approach will also simultaneously enable separation of winding loss, facilitating the evaluation of how wire type, winding thickness and pattern, and layer pattern affect various energy performance metrics. A cross-validation method based on traditional magnetic measurement approaches will also be developed to appeal to and persuade a broader audience.<br/><br/>This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
