Is it possible to make a transformer just using the copper wire on a PCB board? Don't bother about the efficiency. Just is it feasible? Looking for articles about this.
It is possible, I saw this in a commercial design. But I have no articles about this. On of the engineers told me that they have done a lot tests with prototypes
What type of transformer are we talking about . Very small rf transformers are alredy used as you ask. Mains transformers however would need a little more regidity to the pcb, and would be on a standard transformer pcb type mount.
Yes you can.
Use a ferrite torroide say 20 mm diamiter and turn 10 turns of insulated copper wire around one side to take the mains current and say five turns on the other side to deliver the senced current , that will be a proportion of the mains load.
One factor that is important is the inductance of the winding towards the mains. It will draw reactive current and heat the traces. You may not be able to get enough turns to get the current to a low value.
thanks.
I mean the primary side of this transformer will be in series with the load(say, an incandescent lamp) in the mains line. That is, whatever kind or size of the load, the transformer will need to be of the stable output voltage. So do the primary voltage. So may be I should use a zenner or diode to stablize the primary voltage. And it also can branch the current which is not needed by the output side.
Make a hole in the PCB, place primary and secondary on the opposite side of PCB and "around"
the hole (the hole now, is on the center of both windings), insert a bar core in the hole, the core diameter is to fit the hole, and the length is about 2~3X of PCB thickness.
This construction may be good for working frequency 500 Khz or higher.
Planar transformers are very common on modern power supply modules. The main problem is that you cannot have many turns for the primary or secondary windings. I understand that you just want the equivalent of a current clamp (current transformer). Yes it is possible to use a planar transformer, there are even special types of ferrites for this job and special glue to hold them together. The best way to increase the number of windings is to use miltilayer pcb. The type of ferrite core that you will yse will determine the shape of the holes that you need to drill on the pcb.