Compact NanoInductor for High Power Applications

The goal of this project is to develop and demonstrate a Nano-Inductor of high power density. The Nano-inductor will use recently developed nano-tape materials. These materials offer very low core-loss and hence yield a more efficient inductor that is more compact and light weight. In Phase I we designed an air-cooled nano-inductor and determined that it offers lower power losses and is smaller and lighter than a comparable commercial inductor. In this phase II, we propose to fabricate and test the performance of a target inductor and establish the benefits offered by it. The target inductor could be either the air-cooled 90 kW inductor for Northrop Corporation or liquid cooled 250 kW inductor for SAIC Inc, with both firms interested in supporting the technology development. A decision on which inductor will be targeted for development will be made by the Navy personnel during the kickoff meeting. To accomplish the development, Premag will work with the chosen system builders to develop a prototypical inductor design. A subscale model of the inductor will be constructed to verify its operating principle. A full scale prototype inductor will then be fabricated and tested for electrical and thermal performance. The development and demonstration of nano-inductor technology is the end result of this effort.