Self-Heating Induced Instability of a Non-Linear Inductor in a SMPS: a Case Study

Abstract

This paper proposes a case study to show that the non-linear operation of a power inductor in a SMPS can induce instability of the control system leading to overheating of the inductor beyond its allowable temperature and to an excessive peak of the maximum current. The case study is performed by a commercial ferrite inductor employed in a synchronous boost converter encompassing a control system to adjust the duty cycle, assuring a constant output voltage. The thermal transient is described by the time domain waveforms and thermal images.