Printed circuit board implementation of small inductors for domestic induction heating applications using a planar litz wire structure

In this paper, the design and implementation of small inductors in printed circuit board (PCB) for domestic induction heating applications is presented. With this purpose, we have developed both a manufacturing technique and an electromagnetic model of the system based on finite-element method (FEM) simulations. The inductor arrangement consists of a stack of printed circuit boards in which a planar litz wire structure is implemented. The developed PCB litz wire structure minimizes the losses in a similar way to the conventional multi-stranded litz wires; whereas the stack of PCBs allows increasing the power transferred to the pot. Different prototypes of the proposed PCB inductor have been measured at low signal levels. Finally, a PCB inductor has been integrated in an electronic stage to test at high signal levels, i.e. in the similar working conditions to the commercial application.