A magnetic component includes a main magnetic core, a power winding coupled to the main magnetic core, a variable reluctance core element arranged in a flux path of the main magnetic core and including a saturable magnetic core and a control winding coupled to the saturable magnetic core. The control winding is isolated relative to the power winding and configured to selectively saturate a section of the saturable magnetic core.

Presented herein are methods and apparatus for biasing magnetic circuits to reduce audible noise from a switching power supply. A magnetic component (e.g., a magnet) is constructed and provided to a core (e.g., a ferromagnetic core) to offset (i.e., bias) an applied magnetomotive force. By selecting and/or manufacturing the magnetic component based on a circuit operating condition, the offset may be tailored to advantageously shift a frequency of mechanical deformation outside the audible noise range. In a switching power supply with fixed peak current, the offset to the applied magnetomotive force may be determined, at least in part, by the fixed peak.

Magnetic flux valves can be used in electromagnetic (EM) power converters to electronically control output signals of the EM power converters. An input signal is provided to an EM power converter that includes two or more core sections in which at least one core section includes a magnetic flux valve having an adjustable reluctance. The EM power converter has one or more primary windings and one or more secondary windings wound around one or more core sections. One or more control signals are provided to the one or more magnetic flux valves to control a reluctance or reluctances of the one or more magnetic flux valves, affecting magnetic coupling between the primary and secondary windings. An output signal is generated, in which the output signal is a function of the input signal and the one or more control signals.

Magnetic flux valves can be used in electromagnetic (EM) power converters to electronically control output signals of the EM power converters. An input signal is provided to an EM power converter that includes two or more core sections in which at least one core section includes a magnetic flux valve having an adjustable reluctance. The EM power converter has one or more primary windings and one or more secondary windings wound around one or more core sections. One or more control signals are provided to the one or more magnetic flux valves to control a reluctance or reluctances of the one or more magnetic flux valves, affecting magnetic coupling between the primary and secondary windings. An output signal is generated, in which the output signal is a function of the input signal and the one or more control signals.

Embodiments described herein are directed to power switching circuits having a saturable inductor. In one embodiment, a power switching circuit includes a power switch assembly operable to be connected to a power source. The power switch assembly includes a plurality of parallel power switches connected to and receiving current from the power source and a saturable inductor electrically coupled in series with the plurality of parallel power switches.

An electrical power distribution network is disclosed, the network can include: a plurality of electrical power control apparatuses, each of the electrical power control apparatuses including: one or more signal conversion components receiving electrical power in the form of a corresponding first signal having a corresponding first fundamental frequency and a corresponding first characteristic voltage, and generating a corresponding second signal having a corresponding second fundamental frequency and a corresponding second characteristic voltage; and a controller that controls operation of the signal conversion components to determine an output voltage and an output frequency of an output signal of the electrical power control apparatus; electrical power generation components acting as sources of electrical power to at least some of the electrical power control apparatuses; and electrical power consumption components acting as sinks of electrical power from at least some of the electrical power control apparatuses.

An electrical power distribution network is disclosed, the network can include: a plurality of electrical power control apparatuses, each of the electrical power control apparatuses including: one or more signal conversion components receiving electrical power in the form of a corresponding first signal having a corresponding first fundamental frequency and a corresponding first characteristic voltage, and generating a corresponding second signal having a corresponding second fundamental frequency and a corresponding second characteristic voltage; and a controller that controls operation of the signal conversion components to determine an output voltage and an output frequency of an output signal of the electrical power control apparatus; electrical power generation components acting as sources of electrical power to at least some of the electrical power control apparatuses; and electrical power consumption components acting as sinks of electrical power from at least some of the electrical power control apparatuses.

An electrical power supply system can include: at least one virtual air gap transformer; a heterodyning component configured to generate a corresponding heterodyned signal having frequency components corresponding to a sum and a difference of the first fundamental frequency and a reference frequency; a filtering component configured to filter a heterodyned signal to remove one of the sum and the difference frequency components therefrom and provide a corresponding filtered signal; an input port; and a control component configured: (i) to receive a signal and to generate a corresponding frequency control signal to determine a reference frequency of the heterodyning component such that the filtered signal has a target output frequency; and (ii) to receive a signal representing the first input voltage, and to generate a corresponding virtual air gap control signal to determine the electrical current in the control windings of the at least one virtual air gap transformer.

An inductor is disclosed. The inductor includes a vertically coiled conductor, a metal contact coupled to a first end of the vertically coiled conductor, and a dielectric material coupled to the metal contact. A tunable high permittivity component is coupled to a second end of the vertically coiled conductor.

A fault current limiter (FCL) includes at least one magnetisable core member and at least one AC magnetomotive force source configured to generate a varying magnetic flux in at least a portion of the at least one magnetisable core member. At least one static magnetomotive force source is positioned to provide a magnetic circuit within at least part of the at least one magnetisable core member and the AC magnetomotive force source and the static magnetomotive force source are relatively positioned to be orthogonal to each other. Typically the static magnetomotive force source may be a permanent magnet and the AC magnetomotive force source configured to generate a varying magnetic flux in both of first and second spaced core members.