inductors, West Coast Magnetics

Inductor technology provides key benefits for power products

News Release from: West Coast Magnetics
27/03/2007

West Coast Magnetics has announced an inductor technology which combines the low DC resistance of a foil wound inductor with the low AC resistance of a litz wire wound inductor. For high current, high ripple applications at frequencies of 10 kHz and above, loss reductions in the range of 25% to 50% compared to conventional wire wound devices are typical. The technology fits very well with the newer classes of silicon devices such as IGBTs designed to operate at current levels of 100 amps and up and at frequencies over 10 Khz.

The technology was patented by the Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth College and is under exclusive license by West Coast Magnetics. West Coast Magnetics has worked closely with Dartmouth to develop the technology so that it is ready for commercial use. Weyman Lundquist, President of West Coast Magnetics, summarized the benefits

“Very simply, this new technology, will lead to the use of smaller and lower cost inductors for a host of developing power electronic applications in the energy field. Wind energy, hybrid vehicles, solar energy and many other environmentally friendly energy technologies rely on continued improvements in power electronics, and power inductors are one of the main building blocks of virtually all power electronic equipment.”

West Coast Magnetics has completed a market forecast which concludes that the global market for inductors of the class which stand to benefit from this new technology is forecasted to exceed $1 billion by 2010, and reach $2.5 billion by 2015. The breakdown in 2015 is $832 million for hybrid vehicles (including heavy commercial, passenger, and light utility), $812 million for solar, wind and other power generation and transmission applications, $464 million for large uninterruptible power supplies, and $359 for other categories.

If the technology is extended into lower power applications such as personal computers, desktop electronic equipment and handheld devices the total global market will exceed $5 billion in 2015.