Exploring the Leakage Inductance of Transformers Used in Dual Active Bridge

Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) are critical to achieving reliability and efficiency in the modern electric grid. Dual Active Bridges (DAB) are often proposed for such integration since they can allow multiple sources and electrical isolation via a high-frequency transformer. In defined applications, DABs rely on the magnetizing and leakage inductance of their high-frequency transformers to achieve their performance requirement. In this paper, the inductance parameters of two types of two-winding transformers are investigated using the Finite Element Analysis (FEA) software ANSYS Maxwell. The variation of the inductance values due to the windings' distribution and core geometry was studied by establishing a parametric analysis. Prototypes were built and tested to compare the inductances actual measurements versus the simulation results. Exploring the possibility of characterizing the inductances of a transformer from a simulation standpoint is of interest in order to construct customized transformers with the optimal characteristic required in a specific DAB design.