POWDERMET INC — Department of Energy SBIR Phase I: 05c

Description

The rapid expansion of renewable and distributed energy sources requires significant changes to the electric grid.Primary among these is the ability to move and store energy, converting from low DC sources to high voltage for transmission. Reducing losses in the conversion process is essential to this function. Wide Band Gap semiconductors are becoming available to dramatically reducing switching losses, but performance of passive devices, and particularly magnetic cores have not advanced as rapidly as active components for high power applications. This Phase I SBIR will develop nanostructured iron-cobalt magnetic core materials derived from engineered particles. By controlling eddy current loop sizes to the micron range simultaneously with domain size and grain size at the nano and macroscale using advanced synthesis and processing techniques, magnetic cores operating in the MHz range with saturation values of 2T and coercivities of 100Oe can be produced economically, dramatically reducing the size, cost, and losses associated with power conversion devices. The phase I program will prepare nanostructured starting particles, and characterize the magnetic and mechanical properties as a function of grain size, domain size, and content, arrangement, and type of insulating phases.