Electrical – How to find mean length per turn (MLT) for magnetic design from ferrite cores datasheet

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Mean length per turn (MLT) is an important design parameter in Kg method of inductor design as described in the book "Fundamentals of Power Electronics" by Dr. Robert Erickson.  Thisis a screenshot from the book.

Where is the MLT mentioned in this datasheet for EE cores on page 21?

How is the formula derived in the screenshot from the book by T.Mclyman?

By Robert Erickson
Robert Erickson

By Mclyman
Mclyman

Best Answer

You'll have to calculate the MLT yourself, based on the core geometry, the bobbin or insulation you wind it on, and the window fill - the amount of copper wire you're putting in, so it isn't a constant for a given core.

For a cylindrical wind, this is fairly easy, since it's just the length of the winding halfway out of the hollow cylinder formed by the winding.

For a rectangular core, you have to break the coil down into geometric segments.

enter image description here

The first wind has four sides, each the length of the core center pin size pluse twice the insulation thickness, and four corners, which are each the length of a 90 degree arc struck around the corner, remembering that the mean diameter is halfway out - the "A" dimension. The D and E dimensions in the reference are actually C and D in the datasheet, and the A dimension will be (E-D-twice the insulation thickness)/2 if the winding window is full, or it'll be just half the depth of the winding layers if it's less than full.

Add these segments together, and you'll get the formula in your reference.