Why element14 Held the Experimenting with Magnetic Components Challenge
As far back as 1820, when Hans Christian Ørsted passed a current through a wire causing a compass need to move due to the magnetic field produced (Ørsted’s Law), magnetism has inspired simple experiments that would ultimately change the world with a slew of innovations. Michael Faraday's simple experiment of passing a magnet through a cardboard tube wrapped with wire causing an induced EMF (Faraday’s Law of Induction) formed the foundation of commonplace devices like the electric motor, transformer, generator, and electric guitar pick up.
Today's generation of magnetics are finely engineered devices that are utilized in advanced applications, spanning power conversion, filters, oscillators, circuit isolation, and many more. Magnetic components are as relevant today as they were when they were first engineered hundreds of years ago.
To this end, element14's Experimenting with Magnetic Components competition was an opportunity to provide our participants a kit of magnetic components so they could conduct experiments and blog about what they learned. Our judges have made their decision on the winners of this competition. Let's now meet the winners.
Grand Prize Winner of the Experimenting with Magnetic Components Challenge: jancumps
element14 hosts many different kinds of design competitions. Most of these competitions emphasize using parts our sponsor has provided to build something--a system or a device (such as a robot). But the Experimenting Design Challenge is slightly different. We give the participants a kit of components and they are tasked to experiment with them: their operation, response, accuracy (when appropriate) and their use in circuit design. How is the Grand Prize Winner selected? One of our judges (Shabaz) said it best: "Jan took the topic 'Experimenting with Magnetic Components' and relentlessly experimented! Many experiments were achieved to show how interesting it can be working with such components, and there were plenty of photos and excellent sketches to explain things." Jan's experiments ranged over many topics, including calculations, inductor operation, LCR meter experiments, common mode chokes, building your own inductor, efficiency, planar PCB transformers, and measuring an unknown inductor value with function generator and oscilloscope. For these reasons Jan Cumps was selected as the Grand Prize Winner of this challenge. Congratulations to Jan Cumps. Summary of Jan's project blogs.
Runner Up Prize Winner of the Experimenting with Magnetic Components Challenge: javagoza
Our judges consider a variety of factors when selecting our top winners. Some of them include great coverage of the target components supported by tests and results, in-depth experiments, and an interesting presentation melding their narrative with media to discuss what they learned. I would add in one more: a way to pull all the experiments together under one umbrella topic. Enrique Albertos did that with his experiments for his smart coin sorter project using inductive sensing. Through a series of blogs, he brought you from basic magnetics to how coins change coil impedance to experiments with oscillators and finally to inductive sensor devices. It was a detailed and comprehensive piece of work. It also gave the reader a lot of learning opportunities, as well as insights into how to take an idea and conduct experiments to make it a reality. For these reasons Enrique Albertos was selected as the Runner Up Prize Winner of this challenge. Congratulations to Enrique Albertos. Summary of Enrique's project blogs.
I'd like to thank all the element14 members who participated and completed this challenge and will receive a Finisher Prize:
Project: Test Gan Quick Mobile Charger Different CMC
Synopsis: Experiment with different common mode chokes in a GaN Mobile charger with 65W output.
F. Yao's project blogs
Project: Filtering Output Noise 5volt Mobile Charger
Synopsis: Using a spare old phone charger with high output noise, I want to build a circuit that can filter this noise.
manojroy's project blogs
Project: Go Discrete: Go Power
Synopsis: Use the kit's radial inductor parts for designing the buck-convertor stage and experiment with common mode chokes.
navadeepganeshu's project blogs
Project: Ideal vs Real Inductors
Synopsis: Experiment and compare an ideal inductor with no parasitics, perfect linear impedance vs frequency plot, no SRF, no DCR vs a real/practical/non-ideal model of inductor. I will also talk about the importance of SRF and Q-factor and how a single inductor can behave as a tank circuit at higher frequencies thereby severely affecting the performance of the circuits.
rsjawale24's project blogs
Project: Experimenting with Magnetic Components
Synopsis: Experiment with a line filter to check for possible scope of frequency signal entering into input power. I will also experiment with various kit inductors to find the quantity of fluctuation reduction when a fluctuating current flows and storing electric energy as magnetic energy. I would like to experiment with Pulse Transformers to turn ON and OFF using a switch at an operating frequency and a pulse duration that delivers the required amount of power.
Swathi C's project blogs
Project: Multi-Inductor Interleaved Boost Converter
Synopsis: Experiment with an Interleaved boost converter that is suited for high power application due to lower ripple content in current. I will investigate the performance variation of IBC with the change of inductor value because inductance has a big impact on input current ripple and output voltage ripple.
Taifur's project blogs
Project: Power Supply Noise Rejection Filters for Sensitive Devices
Synopsis: I'll use this Magnetic components kit to create multiple power supply topologies.
vinayyn's project blogs
Last Word: A Big Thank You to Our Judges
I'd like to thank Top Members Don Bertke and Shabaz for judging the Experimenting with Magnetic Components Challenge.
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