Comparison of Finite Element Modelling Methods for Power Magnetic Components

The paper compares the performance of different design methods for power magnetics. The Finite element method solvers provided by ANSYS Electronics are compared to the theoretical magnetic models. The performance of the modelling tools is quantified by comparing simulations against impedance measurements for 2 different inductor types both for 2D approximations and 3D geometry models. The key goal is to evaluate when a more complex design procedure is required to achieve certain design goals, such as accurate parasitic and be aware of the limitations in different methods.