3 examples of most common inductors

Explore the three most common types of inductors – Air Core, Iron Core, and Ferrite Core, their advantages and disadvantages.

Three Common Types of Inductors

Inductors, sometimes referred to as “coils,” are passive electronic components that store energy in a magnetic field when an electric current flows through them. They play an essential role in various applications, including power electronics, telecommunications, and radio frequency systems. In this article, we will discuss three of the most common types of inductors: Air Core Inductors, Iron Core Inductors, and Ferrite Core Inductors.

1. Air Core Inductors

As the name suggests, Air Core Inductors do not use a magnetic core. Instead, they consist of coils of wire wound in a spiral pattern. This absence of a magnetic material results in a lower inductance value per turn, meaning a greater number of turns are needed for the same inductance as a ferromagnetic core inductor.

1. Advantages: They have no magnetic saturation, higher frequency range, and no energy loss due to hysteresis.
2. Disadvantages: They require more wire and larger physical size for a given inductance and current rating.

2. Iron Core Inductors

Iron Core Inductors are made by winding a coil of wire around an iron core. This design increases the magnetic field and therefore increases the amount of stored energy.

1. Advantages: They provide a high level of inductance per turn, allowing for smaller, more compact designs.
2. Disadvantages: They can suffer from magnetic saturation and energy losses due to hysteresis and eddy currents.

3. Ferrite Core Inductors

Ferrite Core Inductors are similar to iron core inductors but use a ferrite core instead. Ferrite is a type of ceramic compound composed of iron₃ oxide (Fe₂O₃) combined with other metals.

1. Advantages: Ferrite core inductors have high magnetic permeability, allowing them to store a larger amount of energy in a smaller volume. They also have higher resistivity than iron, reducing eddy current losses.
2. Disadvantages: They can also suffer from magnetic saturation, although this typically occurs at higher levels than in iron core inductors.

In conclusion, the selection of an inductor type depends largely on the specific requirements of the electronic application in question.