Inductors
Inductors, also known as chokes or coils, are electronic storage components that consist of magnetic fields contained within a wire loop, or coil.How Inductors Work
The wire coil produces a magnetic field that results from electrical currents being carried through some kind of conductive material, also known as a conductor. The amount of induction, the energy storage capacity, is directly related to the number of coils, as well as the size and material around which the coil is wound.
Air, wood, glass, and plastic provide the least induction, while metals such as iron increase inductivity. Shape also affects the efficiency of inductors. The unit of inductance is called a henry, H for short. The amount of energy stored, measured in joules, is equal to the effort required to produce the electrical current flowing through the inductor. Inductors can also be maintained with liquid conductors, including certain types of gases and constructed after the flywheel/turbine model. The measure of how good the inductor is, or the storage capacity, is the quality, or Q factor.
Construction of Inductors
Usually, inductors consist of wire coils, typically copper wrapped around a suitable conductor, either air or some type of iron material. Most inductors look like iron bobbins where the coils are wrapped between a donut-shaped spool made of some sort of iron-based material. Some inductors are adjustable, which allows for different levels of inductivity. Others can be used on circuit boards, as they are laid out in a spiral configuration.
Inductors are actually relatively easy to make. One can take a wooden dowel, spool some copper wire around it, and put the device in a plastic aspirin bottle with the lead wires hanging out. To make it durable, fill the bottle with epoxy, and voilà, a home made inductor!
Applications of Inductors
Inductors are used in a variety of ways to store and maintain electrical energy. Inductors are used in wireless communications, though they must be installed with what's called capacitors, two plates separated by insulation. A series of inductors provide protection against signal interference and enhance AC power to DC quality. Large inductors are used in all types of electronic equipment, including computers and peripheral devices. They are also used in analog circuitry and in signal processing. Such applications include use in radios for regulating frequency bands and for broadcasting.
Inductors are also used in transformers, which is vital to the generation of electricity—the electrical power grid. Another important application of inductors is in semiconductors, which help to avoid power surges and interruptions and maintain a consistent flow of electric current for electronic components, a function vital to the preservation of electronic date storage. Despite the importance of the function of inductors, they tend to be large, and therefore, are being replaced by solid state switching power supplies.