Passive Components Blog
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • NewsFilter
    • All
    • Aerospace & Defence
    • Antenna
    • Applications
    • Automotive
    • Capacitors
    • Circuit Protection Devices
    • electro-mechanical news
    • Filters
    • Fuses
    • Inductors
    • Industrial
    • Integrated Passives
    • inter-connect news
    • Market & Supply Chain
    • Market Insights
    • Medical
    • Modelling and Simulation
    • New Materials & Supply
    • New Technologies
    • Non-linear Passives
    • Oscillators
    • Passive Sensors News
    • Resistors
    • RF & Microwave
    • Telecommunication
    • Weekly Digest

    Researchers Presents High-Performance Carbon-Based Supercapacitors

    Hirose Launches World’s Lowest Profile and Narrowest Pitch FPC Connector

    Modelithics Announces v25.5 of the COMPLETE+3D Library for Ansys HFSS

    PCNS 2025 Final Program Announced!

    DigiKey Expands Inventory with Over 32,000 Stocking NPIs in Q2 2025

    YAGEO Offers High-Performance Diplexers for Dual-Band Wi-Fi 6E/7Integration

    European Components Distribution (DMASS) Faces Continued Decline in Q2 2025

    TDK Announced Wide Frequency Automotive Wirewound POC Inductors

    Bourns Released Rugged, High-Power TO-247 Thick Film Resistor

    Trending Tags

    • Ripple Current
    • RF
    • Leakage Current
    • Tantalum vs Ceramic
    • Snubber
    • Low ESR
    • Feedthrough
    • Derating
    • Dielectric Constant
    • New Products
    • Market Reports
  • VideoFilter
    • All
    • Antenna videos
    • Capacitor videos
    • Circuit Protection Video
    • Filter videos
    • Fuse videos
    • Inductor videos
    • Inter-Connect Video
    • Non-linear passives videos
    • Oscillator videos
    • Passive sensors videos
    • Resistor videos

    Switched Capacitor Converter Explained

    Understanding Inductor Dot Markings and Their Application in LTspice

    Accelerating Full Bridge LLC Resonant Converter Design with Frenetic AI

    Understanding Switched Capacitor Converters

    Coupled Inductors Circuit Model and Examples of its Applications

    Inductor Resonances and its Impact to EMI

    Highly Reliable Flex Rigid PCBs, Würth Elektronik Webinar

    Causes of Oscillations in Flyback Converters

    How to design a 60W Flyback Transformer

    Trending Tags

    • Capacitors explained
    • Inductors explained
    • Resistors explained
    • Filters explained
    • Application Video Guidelines
    • EMC
    • New Products
    • Ripple Current
    • Simulation
    • Tantalum vs Ceramic
  • Knowledge Blog
  • Suppliers
    • Who is Who
  • Events
  • Home
  • NewsFilter
    • All
    • Aerospace & Defence
    • Antenna
    • Applications
    • Automotive
    • Capacitors
    • Circuit Protection Devices
    • electro-mechanical news
    • Filters
    • Fuses
    • Inductors
    • Industrial
    • Integrated Passives
    • inter-connect news
    • Market & Supply Chain
    • Market Insights
    • Medical
    • Modelling and Simulation
    • New Materials & Supply
    • New Technologies
    • Non-linear Passives
    • Oscillators
    • Passive Sensors News
    • Resistors
    • RF & Microwave
    • Telecommunication
    • Weekly Digest

    Researchers Presents High-Performance Carbon-Based Supercapacitors

    Hirose Launches World’s Lowest Profile and Narrowest Pitch FPC Connector

    Modelithics Announces v25.5 of the COMPLETE+3D Library for Ansys HFSS

    PCNS 2025 Final Program Announced!

    DigiKey Expands Inventory with Over 32,000 Stocking NPIs in Q2 2025

    YAGEO Offers High-Performance Diplexers for Dual-Band Wi-Fi 6E/7Integration

    European Components Distribution (DMASS) Faces Continued Decline in Q2 2025

    TDK Announced Wide Frequency Automotive Wirewound POC Inductors

    Bourns Released Rugged, High-Power TO-247 Thick Film Resistor

    Trending Tags

    • Ripple Current
    • RF
    • Leakage Current
    • Tantalum vs Ceramic
    • Snubber
    • Low ESR
    • Feedthrough
    • Derating
    • Dielectric Constant
    • New Products
    • Market Reports
  • VideoFilter
    • All
    • Antenna videos
    • Capacitor videos
    • Circuit Protection Video
    • Filter videos
    • Fuse videos
    • Inductor videos
    • Inter-Connect Video
    • Non-linear passives videos
    • Oscillator videos
    • Passive sensors videos
    • Resistor videos

    Switched Capacitor Converter Explained

    Understanding Inductor Dot Markings and Their Application in LTspice

    Accelerating Full Bridge LLC Resonant Converter Design with Frenetic AI

    Understanding Switched Capacitor Converters

    Coupled Inductors Circuit Model and Examples of its Applications

    Inductor Resonances and its Impact to EMI

    Highly Reliable Flex Rigid PCBs, Würth Elektronik Webinar

    Causes of Oscillations in Flyback Converters

    How to design a 60W Flyback Transformer

    Trending Tags

    • Capacitors explained
    • Inductors explained
    • Resistors explained
    • Filters explained
    • Application Video Guidelines
    • EMC
    • New Products
    • Ripple Current
    • Simulation
    • Tantalum vs Ceramic
  • Knowledge Blog
  • Suppliers
    • Who is Who
  • Events
No Result
View All Result
Passive Components Blog
No Result
View All Result

Pentacentra Transformer Benefits in High-Current Data Center Application

16.2.2024
Reading Time: 4 mins read
A A

This article is based on newsletter blog written by Dr. Chema Molina, CEO of Frenetic that introduces pentacentra transformer topology for multiphase LLC converter in high-current data center applications.

The data centers consume more than 1,5% of the electric energy in the US, and researchers have been creating innovative solutions to improve efficiency.

RelatedPosts

Accelerating Full Bridge LLC Resonant Converter Design with Frenetic AI

How to design a 60W Flyback Transformer

How to Design LLC Transformer

The transformer topology most commonly used during the 2010s has been the LLC.

More than ten years ago, CPES published some articles and videos about this type of solution for LLC converters, where the idea was to integrate the transformer in the PCB, being very close to the switching devices, allowing very high switching frequencies up to 1MHz.

LLC converter with matrix transformer topology
LLC converter with matrix transformer – PCB example

A new article by Chang Wang from the Technical University of Denmark and from the department led by Professor Andersen was published in TPEL about a new transformer configuration, the Pentacentra Transformer.

The main difference between the matrix and the Pentacentra is a central bar serving as the fifth leg of the core. The goal of adding this additional leg is to reduce by 40% the layout of the windings in the PCB. From my perspective, I would say it increases the complexity of the core, decreases the complexity of the PCB layout, and improves the overall efficiency.

Pentacentra transformer core construction and layout reduction

The article explains with all detail the position of the rectifiers in the secondary, the current flowing paths.

They use the material ML91s from Hitachi. Very popular material in high-frequency publications.

GaN vs Si-FET

Another exciting thing that came out with the experimental results of the article is the comparison between the two prototypes. One uses GaN devices, and the second one uses Si. It’s the same board size.

The author explains that he needed to stop the test at 450 W in the GaN case because the device’s heat dissipation was worse than the Si-FET.

GaN devices are smaller than Si-FET, so, the heat dissipation capacity is smaller. Finally, he finished the tests with the Si-FET devices reaching 98% efficiency and 96% at full power. I would love to see if there was a way of improving the GaN heat dissipation without increasing the cost.

Abstract:

The role of data centers has become significant in the era of information technology, and their operation consumes a substantial amount of energy. Therefore, the point-of-load converter or voltage regulation module used in data centers must have high efficiency and power density to deliver a large current to specific servers. A common bus voltage 48 V at the rack stage needs to be stepped down to intermediate bus voltage, which is 6–5 V in this case. To achieve this, a new pentacentra transformer was developed for a four-phase LLC converter. A centra bar serving as the fifth leg of the core is added to the conventional four-leg matrix transformer. The interleaving and integration of windings in the proposed pentacentra transformer enabled balanced current sharing and reduced conduction loss by 45% compared to the traditional winding layout. The experimental prototype of the converter was designed to achieve 800 W power output at a switching frequency of 500 kHz and 48 V–40 V/6 V–5 V voltage conversion. The peak efficiency achieves 98.1% along with the power density of 240 W/in 3 with the experimental result. Without the heatsink, the whole converter is operating at rated power within a safe temperature lower than 86°. The excellent thermal performance ensures the reliable operation of the converter and promises a larger power delivery capability.

Reference

[1] “Pentacentra Transformer for Multiphase LLC Converter in High-Current Data Center Application” Chang Wang , Student Member, IEEE, Mingxiao Li , Member, IEEE, Ziwei Ouyang , Senior Member, IEEE, Tiberiu-Gabriel Zsurzsan , Member, IEEE, and Michael A.E. Andersen , Member, IEEE

Related

Source: Frenetic

Recent Posts

PCNS 2025 Final Program Announced!

31.7.2025
31

TDK Announced Wide Frequency Automotive Wirewound POC Inductors

30.7.2025
23

Bourns Announced Shielded Power Inductor with High Saturation and Low Radiation

30.7.2025
15

Würth Elektronik Expands MagI³C with Variable Step-Down Modules

30.7.2025
18

Switched Capacitor Converter Explained

28.7.2025
25

Researchers Demonstrated 200C Polymer Film Dielectric

28.7.2025
14

Researchers Demonstrated Zinc-Ion Based Photo-Supercapacitor

28.7.2025
12

TDK Presents Various Large-Size Ferrite Cores for Industrial Applications

25.7.2025
26
Comparative display of a grain size and domain structure; b free energy; c P-E loops after high-entropy ceramics (HECs) and PGS design. source: Nature Communications  ISSN 2041-1723

Researchers Propose Novel MLCC Dielectric Design to Increase Energy Storage Capacity

24.7.2025
45

Bourns Releases New 150C Shielded Carbonyl Powder Core Power Inductors

28.7.2025
24

Upcoming Events

Sep 22
September 22 @ 13:00 - September 25 @ 15:15 EDT

Pre Cap Visual Inspection per Mil-Std-883 (TM 2017)

Sep 30
September 30 @ 12:00 - October 2 @ 14:00 EDT

MIL-Std-883 TM 2010

Oct 17
12:00 - 14:00 EDT

External Visual Inspection per MIL-STD-883 TM 2009

Oct 21
October 21 @ 12:00 - October 23 @ 14:15 EDT

Space and Military Standards for Hybrids and RF Microwave Modules

Nov 4
November 4 @ 12:00 - November 6 @ 14:15 EST

Wirebond Materials, Processes, Reliability and Testing

View Calendar

Popular Posts

  • Buck Converter Design and Calculation

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Boost Converter Design and Calculation

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Flyback Converter Design and Calculation

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • LLC Resonant Converter Design and Calculation

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • What is a Dielectric Constant and DF of Plastic Materials?

    4 shares
    Share 4 Tweet 0
  • Ripple Current and its Effects on the Performance of Capacitors

    3 shares
    Share 3 Tweet 0
  • How to Design an Inductor

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Dual Active Bridge (DAB) Topology Explained

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • MLCC Case Sizes Standards Explained

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • MLCC and Ceramic Capacitors

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0

Newsletter Subscription

 

Passive Components Blog

© EPCI - Leading Passive Components Educational and Information Site

  • Home
  • Privacy Policy
  • EPCI Membership & Advertisement
  • About

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Knowledge Blog
  • Premium Suppliers

© EPCI - Leading Passive Components Educational and Information Site

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.
Go to mobile version