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

    Advances in the Environmental Performance of Polymer Capacitors

    Vishay Releases DLA Tantalum Polymer Capacitors for Military and Aerospace

    Vishay Expanded Inductor Portfolio With More Than 2000 Stock Items 

    Paumanok Releases Capacitor Foils Market Report 2025-2030

    Modelithics Welcomes CapV as a Sponsoring MVP

    Wk 40 Electronics Supply Chain Digest

    Benefits of Tantalum Powder Stress–Strain Curve Evaluation vs Conventional Wet Test

    Electrolyte Selection and Performance in Supercapacitors

    Connector PCB Design Challenges

    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

    Connector PCB Design Challenges

    Efficient Power Converters: Duty Cycle vs Conduction Losses

    Ripple Steering in Coupled Inductors: SEPIC Case

    SEPIC Converter with Coupled and Uncoupled Inductors

    Coupled Inductors in SEPIC versus Flyback Converters

    Non-Linear MLCC Class II Capacitor Measurements Challenges

    Percolation Phenomenon and Reliability of Molded Power Inductors in DC/DC converters

    Root Causes and Effects of DC Bias and AC in Ceramic Capacitors

    How to Calculate the Output Capacitor for a Switching Power Supply

    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

    Advances in the Environmental Performance of Polymer Capacitors

    Vishay Releases DLA Tantalum Polymer Capacitors for Military and Aerospace

    Vishay Expanded Inductor Portfolio With More Than 2000 Stock Items 

    Paumanok Releases Capacitor Foils Market Report 2025-2030

    Modelithics Welcomes CapV as a Sponsoring MVP

    Wk 40 Electronics Supply Chain Digest

    Benefits of Tantalum Powder Stress–Strain Curve Evaluation vs Conventional Wet Test

    Electrolyte Selection and Performance in Supercapacitors

    Connector PCB Design Challenges

    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

    Connector PCB Design Challenges

    Efficient Power Converters: Duty Cycle vs Conduction Losses

    Ripple Steering in Coupled Inductors: SEPIC Case

    SEPIC Converter with Coupled and Uncoupled Inductors

    Coupled Inductors in SEPIC versus Flyback Converters

    Non-Linear MLCC Class II Capacitor Measurements Challenges

    Percolation Phenomenon and Reliability of Molded Power Inductors in DC/DC converters

    Root Causes and Effects of DC Bias and AC in Ceramic Capacitors

    How to Calculate the Output Capacitor for a Switching Power Supply

    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

Why corona-free custom magnetics solutions are needed

2.5.2016
Reading Time: 3 mins read
A A

source: EDN article

Steve Taranovich -April 26, 2016,  Many designers treat transformers as if they were “garden variety” resistors in so many designs. They just select one that meets the circuit need for transforming electrical energy from one circuit to another without a direct electrical connection using mutual induction between two windings and having the necessary isolation voltage needed for the system design. But there is more to a transformer than that.

RelatedPosts

Advances in the Environmental Performance of Polymer Capacitors

Vishay Releases DLA Tantalum Polymer Capacitors for Military and Aerospace

Vishay Expanded Inductor Portfolio With More Than 2000 Stock Items 

I met Kevin Bradley, Marketing Director, from Bicron Electronics Company, a Connecticut-based manufacturer of high-reliability, custom magnetics, at APEC this year. They announced an improvement in their line of VoltBoss™ corona-free transformers. Why is that important?

First of all, most engineers think of high voltage transmission lines when they hear the term corona. Have you heard of Corona bloom, a corrosive effect of partial discharge, is a leading cause of failure in magnetics components? Bicron’s new generation of VoltBoss™ transformers have been developed to eliminate corona failure (dielectric breakdown) for voltages up to 4.5kV in an amazingly small 1 sq. in. footprint.

This phenomena, frequently misunderstood by many designers as only applying to large, high voltage magnetics devices, is equally important in smaller magnetics devices in operating environments as low as 300V employed in equipment that must operate reliably over their lifetime – often decades.

Corona is caused by ionization of the media (usually air) surrounding an electrode /conductor. It is a function of the voltage and the surrounding relative humidity and air density. Corona is generated when a localized discharge resulting from the gaseous ionization in an insulation system when the voltage exceeds a critical value. That critical value was previously assumed to be about 1 kV but it can even be exhibited at levels down to 300V.

Corona inception voltage is the lowest voltage at which continuous corona of specified pulse amplitude occurs as the applied voltage is gradually increased. Corona inception voltage decreases as the frequency of the applied voltage increases. Corona can occur in applications as low as 300V.

Corona extinction or extinguish voltage is the highest voltage at which continuous corona of specified pulse amplitude no longer occurs as the applied voltage is gradually decreased from above the corona inception value. Thus, once corona starts, the voltage must be decreased to get it to stop.

Corona is not just a function of an Electric Field. It depends upon the surface and radius of curvature of the electrode/conductor. It is also dependent upon the rate of decay of the electric field away from the conductor/electrode. So the conductor with the smallest electric field at its surface is not the obvious solution.

The surface condition of the conductor is an important factor. Irregularities in the surface like dust, burrs, scratches and moisture are problems that will enhance the corona effect.

Bicron’s new transformer platform measuring just over 2 cu. in and weighing just 2.5 oz. achieves a partial discharge specification of an amazingly low level of <10 pC @ 4.5 kV.

The transformer’s manufacturing process, proprietary materials and designs assure best-in-class performance in minimizing partial discharge in mass-produced transformers, Kevin Bradley told me. This technology guards against field failures from poor designs, inferior materials as well as haphazard internal construction quality.  Partial discharge is considered as a discharge that does not complete the path between the cathode and the anode of an insulation system. Bicron says that corona is a further progression of partial discharge as voltage levels increase to a high enough level to create a “Corona Bloom” which can be a serious threat to the operation of the magnetic device itself as well as the system it resides in.

Bradley told me that VoltBoss™ transformers have been in field use by major US and overseas OEM’s for thousands of cycles with no failures.  With power ratings up to 200VA, input voltages up to 250V and partial discharge specifications as low as <5pC at on surprisingly small platforms, VoltBoss™ technology is available in board mounted units and larger toroid assemblies.

I got an eye-opening, new appreciation for the transformer after seeing what Bicron is doing with transformers and especially what they are doing to educate designers about these sometimes overlooked phenomena that can affect reliability and function in a system.

Related

Recent Posts

Advances in the Environmental Performance of Polymer Capacitors

8.10.2025
2

Vishay Expanded Inductor Portfolio With More Than 2000 Stock Items 

8.10.2025
6

Researchers Demonstrated High Energy Ceramic Capacitors Stable in Wide Temperature Range

2.10.2025
24

Stackpole Offers High Voltage Plate Resistors up to 40KV

2.10.2025
18

How to Manage Supercapacitors Leakage Current and Self Discharge 

1.10.2025
39

Experimental Evaluation of Wear Failures in SMD Inductors

1.10.2025
36

Resonant Capacitors in High-Power Resonant Circuits

1.10.2025
37
a Schematic diagram of the BNT-based components constructed based on the entropy-increase strategy. b Digital photograph, cross-sectional SEM image, and EDS mappings of the MLCCs. c Unipolar P-E loops of MLCCs as a function of applied E. d Wrec and η of the MLCCs as a function of applied E. The comparison of (e) Wrec and η, (f) η and UF of the MLCCs with those of other recently reported state-of-the-art MLCCs. source: Nature Communications

Researchers Proposed Enhanced Energy Storage MLCC

1.10.2025
18

Littelfuse Releases First Reflow-Compatible Illuminated Tactile Switch

1.10.2025
7

Vishay Unveils 5W Power Metal Strip Resistor in Compact 1206 Case Size

1.10.2025
24

Upcoming Events

Oct 14
16:00 - 17:00 CEST

Smart Sensors, Smarter AI: Building Reliable Edge Systems

Oct 17
12:00 - 14:00 EDT

External Visual Inspection per MIL-STD-883 TM 2009

Oct 20
October 20 - October 23

Digital WE Days 2025 – Virtual Conference

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

Space and Military Standards for Hybrids and RF Microwave Modules

Oct 28
8:00 - 15:00 CET

Power Up Your Design: SN6507 and the Ready-to-Use Development Kit

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
  • SEPIC Converter Design and Calculation

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

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

    3 shares
    Share 3 Tweet 0
  • What is a Dielectric Constant and DF of Plastic Materials?

    4 shares
    Share 4 Tweet 0
  • Flying Capacitors 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