AN108

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AN108

Designing a Half Bridge Converter

Using a CoreMaster E2000Q Core
By
Colonel Wm. T. McLyman
The half bridge converter is shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1. Half bridge converter

The dynamic BH loop for a half bridge push-pull converter is shown in Figure 2.

Figure 2 The dynamic BH loop of a push-pull converter.

Half Bridge Converter Transformer Design Specification
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Input voltage nominal

Input voltage minimum
Input voltage maximum
Output voltage
Output current
Frequency
Efficiency

Vnom = 28 V
Vmin = 24 V
Vmax = 32 V
VO = 5 V
IO = 10 A
f=100 kHz
= 98 %

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8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.

Maximum duty ratio

Regulation
Operating flux density
Diode voltage drop
Window utilization
Waveform factor
Temperature rise

Dmax = 0.5
= 0.5 %
BAC = 0.2 T
Vd = 1 V
KU =0.4*
KF =4.0
Tr=30C

* Note window utilization will be re-calculated.

Figure 3. Typical half bridge converter waveforms.

The waveforms shown in Figure 3, are typical waveforms of the half bridge converter. The
collector current Ic is shown in Figure 3-A. The collector voltage, Vc is shown in figure 3-B. The
inductor L1 current, IL, made up from the rectifier CR2 and CR4 are shown in Figure 3-C.
Select a wire so that the relationship between the AC resistance and the DC resistance is 1:
RAC
=1
RDC
The skin depth in cm is:
6.62
=
f
6.62
=
= 0.0209 [cm]
100,000
Then, the wire diameter is:
Wire diameter = 2
Wire diameter = 2 0.0209= 0.0418 [cm]
Then, the bare wire area AW is:
D2
AW =
4
3.1416 0.04182
AW =
= 0.00137[cm2 ]
4

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From the Wire Table, number 26 has a bare wire area of 0.001280 centimeters. This will be the
minimum wire size used in this design. If the design requires more wire area to meet the
specification, then, the design will use a multifilar of #26. Listed Below are #27 and #28, just in
case #26 requires too much rounding off.
Wire AWG
#26
#27
#28

Bare Area
0.00128
0.001021
0.000804

Area Ins.
0.001603
0.001313
0.000105

cm
/

Bare/Ins.
0.798
0.778
0.765

1345
1687
2142

When operating at high frequencies, the engineer has to review the window utilization factor, Ku.
Operating at 100kHz and having to use a #26 wire, because of the skin effect, the ratio of the bare
copper area to the total area is 0.79. The window utilization factor was developed using a #20
wire, with a bare copper area to the total area ratio of 0.86. Therefore, the overall window
utilization Ku is reduced. To return the design back to the norm, the core geometry Kg is to be
multiplied by 1.1, and the current density J is calculated, using a window utilization factor of
0.367.
Step No. 1 Calculate the total period, T.
1
T=
f
1
T=
= 10 106 [s]
100,000
Step No. 2 Calculate the maximum transistor on time, ton.
ton = TDMAX
ton = 10 106 0.5 = 5 [ s]
Step No. 3 Calculate the secondary output power, PO.
PO = I O (VO + Vd )

PO = 10 (5 + 1) = 60 [W]
Step No. 4 Calculate the total input power, Pin
P
Pin = O

60
Pin =
= 61.2 [W]
0.98
Step No. 5 Calculate the apparent power, Pt.
1

Pt = PO + 2

Pt = 60
+ 1.41 = 146 [W]
0.98

Step No. 6 Calculate the electrical conditions, Ke

2
Ke = 0.145 K 2f f 2 BAC
104
Ke = 0.145 4 2 100,0002 0.2 2 10 4 = 92800

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Step No. 7 Calculate the core geometry, Kg .

Pt
Kg =
2 K e
146
Kg =
= 0.00157 [cm5 ]
2 92800 0.5
The core geometry Kg in the data table is calculated using a window utilization of 0.4. Operating
at 100kHz and using a #26 AWG the window utilization Ku has to be multiplied 1.1 to bring it
back to the norm.
K g = 1.1 K g
K g = 1.1 0.00157 = 0.00173 [cm5 ]
Step No. 8 Select from the data sheet a E 2000Q core comparable in core geometry, Kg.
Core number
Manufacturer
Magnetic material
Magnetic path length, MPL
Core weight, Wtfe
Copper weight, Wtcu
Mean length turn, MLT
Iron area, Ac
Window area, Wa
Area product, Ap
Core geometry, Kg
Surface area, At

TEA0111Q
CMI
E 2000Q
4.06 cm
4.6 g
5.6 g
2.7 cm
0.14 cm2
0.541 cm2
0.0757 cm4
0.00158 cm5
15.9 cm2

Step No. 9 Calculate the low line input current, Iin.

P
I IN = IN
VINMIN
61.2
I IN =
= 2.55 [A]
24
Step No. 10 Calculate the primary rms current, Iprms. When using a half bridge the input current is
multiplied by 2 to calculate the primary current.
2 I IN
I Pr ms =
2 DMAX
2 2.55
= 5.1 [A]
1
Step No. 11 Calculate the number of primary turns, Np. Because this is a half bridge the input
voltage is divided by 2.
V
N p = in (min
2
24
Np =
= 12[V ]
2
IP =

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Np =

VP ( MIN ) 104
fAc BAC K f

12 104
= 10.7 use 10, [turns]
100,000 0.14 0.2 4.0
Step No. 12 Calculate the current density J using a window utilization Ku = 0.367.
Pt 104
J=
f AP BAC Ku K f
NP =

146 104
= 657 [A/cm2 ]
100,000 0.0757 0.2 0.367 4.0
Step No. 13 Calculate the required primary bare wire area, Awp.
I
Awp = Pr ms
J
5.1
Awp =
= 0.00776 [cm 2 ]
657
Step No. 14 Calculate the required number of strands NSp. Using the area of a #26 wire.
Awp ( B )
NS P =
# 26
0.00776
NS P =
= 6.06 use 6
0.00128
Step No. 15 Calculate the primary new /cm from the number 26AWG.
/ cm
new / cm =
NS p
J=

1345
= 224
6
Step No. 16 Calculate the primary winding resistance, Rp.
6
RP = MLT N P
10
cm
RP = 2.7 10 224 106 = 0.00605 []
Step No. 17 Calculate the primary copper loss, PP.
2
PP = I Pr ms RP
new / cm =

PP = 3.6072 0.026 = 0.338 [W]

Step No. 18 Calculate the transformer secondary voltage, Vs.
VS = VO + Vd
VS = 5 + 1 = 6 [V]
Step No. 19 Calculate the number of secondary turns, NS.
N V

N S = P S 1 +
VPMIN 100
10 6 1.0
NS =
1 +
= 5.05 use 5 [turns]
12 100

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Step No. 20 Calculate the secondary rms current, ISrms.

I Srms = I S DMAX
I Srms = 10 0.707 = 7.07 [A]
Step No. 21 Calculate the secondary bare wire area, Aws.
I
Aws ( B ) = S rms
J
7.07
Aws ( B ) =
= 0.0108 [cm 2 ]
657
Step No. 22 Calculate the required number of secondary strands, NSs.
A
NS S = ws ( B )
# 26
0.0108
NS S =
= 8.4 use 8
0.00128
Step No. 23 Calculate the secondary new mW per centimeter using number 26 AWG.
/ cm
( new) / cm =
NS S
1345
( new) / cm =
= 168
8
Step No. 24 Calculate the winding resistance, Rs.
6
RS = MLT N S
10
cm
RS = 2.7 5 168 106 = 0.0227 []
Step No. 25 Calculate the secondary copper loss, PS.
2
PS = I Srms RS
PS = 102 0.00227 = 0.227 [W]
Step No. 26 Calculate the total copper loss, Pcu.
PCU = PP + PS
PCU = 0.157 + 0.227 = 0.384 [W]
Step No. 27 Calculate the regulation, .
P
= CU 100%
PO
0.384
100 = 0.64%
60
Step No. 28 Calculate the window utilization KU.
N = N P NS P + 2 N S NS S
N = 10 6 + 2 5 8 = 140
NAW (#26)
KU =
W
=

KU =

140 0.00128
= 0.331
0.541

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Step No. 29 Calculate the true flux density, BAC.

VP min 104
BAC =
f AC N P K f
BAC =

12 104
= 0.214 [Tl]
100,000 0.14 10 4

Step No. 30 Calculate mW/g.

2.1122
mW / g = 8.64 107 f 1.834 BAC

mW / g = 8.64 107 100,0001.834 0.2142.1122 = 49.2

Step No. 31 Calculate the core loss, PFe.
PFe = ( mW / g ) Wtfe 103
PFe = 49.2 4.6 103 = 0.226 [W]
Step No. 32 Calculate the total loss, P.
P = PCu + PFe
P = 0.384 + 0.226 = 0.61 [W]
Step No. 33 Calculate the watt density, .
P
=
At
0.61
=
= 0.0384 [W/cm2 ]
15.9
Step No. 34 Calculate the temperature rise, Tr.
Tr = 450 0.826
Tr = 450 0.03840.826 = 30.5 [o C]
Step No. 35 Calculate the transformer efficiency,
PO
=
PO + P
60
=
100 = 99 [%]
60 + 0.61
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Colonel William T. McLyman, Transformer and Inductor Design Handbook, Second Edition,
Marcel Dekker Inc., New York, 1988.
Colonel William T. McLyman, Magnetic Core Selection for Transformers and Inductors, Second
Edition, Marcel Dekker Inc., 1997
Colonel William T. McLyman, Designing Magnetic Components for High Frequency, dc-dc
Converters, Kg Magnetics, Inc., 1993.
For information regarding the above Books and Companion
Software for Windows 95', 98' and NT, contact:
Kg Magnetics, Inc.
38 West Sierra Madre Blvd, Suite J
Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024
Phone: (626) 836-7233, FAX: (626) 836-7263
Web Page: www.kgmagnetics.com
Email: sheassoc@pacbell.net

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