Design and realization of a DC/DC converter with a partially saturated inductor

DC/DC converters, in some types of applications such as portable equipments, can require more space than it is actually available. The inductor is typically the most bulky element and the possibility to reduce its size can save up to 50% of the converter volume and area [1][2], thus increasing the power density. This reduction, however, comes with nonlinear effects caused by the saturation of the ferromagnetic core. An appropriate modelling of the inductor and of the converter circuit is needed for guaranteeing a good output power quality (Fig. 1). A Boost converter with an inductor in the partially saturated roll-off operating zone was designed and realized to study the behaviour of DC/DC …