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[Amps] Cut core and EI core loss diferences

To: amps@contesting.com
Subject: [Amps] Cut core and EI core loss diferences
From: "Will Matney" <craxd1@ezwv.com>
Reply-to: craxd1@ezwv.com
Date: Wed, 20 Apr 2005 23:08:06 -0400
List-post: <mailto:amps@contesting.com>
Ok, one last word. I finished my research into this as I myself wanted to find 
exactly why cut core iron losses were higher than EI cores. I figured it was 
just the air gaps on the two C sections but there was more. I reference a book 
below named "Saturating Core Devices" by Leonard R Crow where this very thing 
is mentioned. The book is about saturable reactor design but discusses 
transformer construction also as this is all a reactor is, a transformer with a 
DC coil added to control it.

Quote;

"The assembly as described [1] is necessary if Hipersil is to be used in the 
saturable reactor. It affords the advantages of ease of fabrication, lower core 
loss [2], and saving in weight and space.

Nevertheless it has disadvantages of expense and the problem presented by the 
fact that although the mechanical construction would lead one to believe that 
it is equivalent to the standard 3-legged core [3], actually the ac flux path 
is different and inferior. Fig. 2-13 illustrates how the C-core is traversed by 
the ac flux, and, consequently, the iron losses are greater than would be the 
case if the ac flux path were identical to the 3-legged core. For the Hipersil 
assembly shown in Fig. 2-13 [4], the ac fluxes balance in the adjacent central 
legs, but these fluxes must travel through the middle section because of the 
magnetic discontinuity between the cores.

This magnetic discontinuity between the cores is caused by the air gaps between 
the individual turns of the Hipersil steel ribbon; these air gaps are composed 
of insulative materials in this type of construction. Fig. 2-14 shows a set of 
two cores wound with Hipersil ribbon. For clarity, the cross section of each 
ribbon turn is enlarged or magnified as is also the thickness of insulation on 
and between the ribbon turns. the two broken-arrow lines through the top of the 
core sections and the one broken-arrow line at the bottom of the core sections 
represent flux lines through the core air gaps. Let us assume that instead of 
having four turns of Hipersil ribbon in each core that each core has four 
hundred turns and that the insulation gap between turns averages 0.001 inch. 
Then for the two cores we will have 800 X 0.001 inch = 0.8 or a total of 800 
small air gaps equivalent to a single large air gap of 4/5 inch through the 
cross section shown by broken-arrow line X. A much grea
 ter air gap reluctance is offered for the flux path shown by line A, since 
here a large additional air gap is offered by the air gap reluctance between 
the curvature of the two core corners. The same reluctance theory for this type 
construction, of course, would hold true with either silicon or Hipersil 
ribbon".

Footnotes;

[1] Using two C-cores as a shell core as in an EI core.

[2] Lower core loss as compared to cold rolled non-oriented steel. Hipersil 
being CRGO, and at the time (1949), only available in C-cores. M6 material is 
now available in EI cores on up to M2 which are all CRGO steel.

[3[ 3-legged core is referring to a EI core in the book.

[4] Fig. 2-13 shows two C-cores being used as a shell core which looks like an 
EI core.

The magnetic discontinuity spoke of is in between the two core sections where 
they butt together down the center of the core. The text don't mention this but 
the gap is also increased by the banding on each C section holding each 
together. In other words, the flux has to jump across this gap from one half 
core to the other! In an EI core, this is not the case. Plus, the fit on the 
cut gaps for a C-core are about a 0.001" to 0.002" fit which another gap is 
presented here. Grinding and lapping will only get it very close but a gap of a 
few microns still exists. reference a previous post of mine about a test that 
was made.

One last point of interest. the name Hipersil came from adding three words 
together.  HIgh PERmeability SILicon.

Best,

Will

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