Inductor Loss Measurement for Power Electronics Using the Single-Winding Method

A two-winding method is widely used for inductor core loss measurement in power converter circuits. However, this can lead to measurement errors when applied to low-permeability materials or when the secondary winding cannot be implemented. To overcome these challenges, this study evaluates the feasibility of the single-winding method for core loss measurement by subtracting copper loss to estimate core loss. Air-core inductors were introduced in the experiment to verify the accuracy of the core loss measurement results. In addition, several copper loss calculation methods were compared, and recommendations for different testing conditions were provided. Experimental results confirmed that the single-winding method is a practical alternative for core loss measurement when the use of secondary windings is restricted.