Design of Three-winding Coupled Inductor for Minimum Current Ripple in Battery Chargers

This paper investigates the design of coupled inductor for minimum inductor current ripple in rapid traction battery charger systems. Based on the general circuit model of coupled inductor together with the operating principles of dc-dc converter, the relationship between the ripple size of inductor current and the coupling factor is derived under the different duty ratio. The optimal coupling factor which corresponds to a minimum inductor ripple current becomes -0.5, i.e. a complete inverse coupling without leakage inductance, as the steady-state duty ratio operating point approaches 1/3 or 2/3. In an opposite manner, the optimal coupling factor value of zero, i.e. zero mutual inductance, is required when the steady-state duty ratio operating point approaches either zero or one. Coupled inductors having optimal coupling factor can minimize the ripple current of inductor and battery current resulting in a reliable and efficient operation of battery chargers.