Method for Calculation of PWM-Induced Iron Losses in Laminated Steel Based on Material Characterization Under DC Biased Magnetization

The transition from sinusoidal to pulse width-modulated (PWM) voltage excitation introduces high-frequency ripple, generating small remagnetization cycles within the main magnetization cycle and increasing total iron losses. Soft magnetic materials are essential for constructing many electrical devices, and accurate loss data are critical for reliable design and thermal dimensioning. However, magnetic material data are typically available only under sinusoidal excitation, and there is no generally accepted method for calculating PWM-induced losses during the design phase. To address this issue, loss measurements under DC-biased magnetization were performed on laminated ring cores, and the data were collected in the form of three-dimensional (3D) loss maps defined by the variables ΔB, dBdt and Bbias. Based on these maps, a method referred to as 3DLMB is proposed to calculate the contribution of PWM-induced losses to total iron losses by comparing minor-loop variables obtained from AC excitation with those measured under DC bias conditions. The method is experimentally validated on three ring cores with different geometrical parameters, showing agreement between calculated and measured total AC losses within ±5% over a range of switching frequencies. The reported agreement applies to the investigated M400-50A material, ring-core geometries, and operating range, while applying it to other materials or geometries requires constructing the corresponding DC-bias 3D loss map.