Thermal investigation of a planar core power transformer

Abstract

Power transformers integrating planar core technology are widely used in DC-DC systems that require high efficiency and low profile geometry, providing valuable manufacturing benefits as comparing to conventional wound wire technology. Planar transformers enhanced performance indicates the efficiency factor near unity. However, the presence of losses in transformers, although reduced, may conduct to a heat distribution analysis, which becomes more valuable in high density power systems. This article provides a thermal analysis over a planar transformer, of whom losses in the MHz region were the subject of a previous work. The thermal simulation has been performed considering the external top and bottom dual layer of the secondary winding turn. Furthermore, the transformer analysis may be of some concern in the heat distribution for both magnetic core and FR4 substrate in order to estimate the thermal stresses.