POWER CONVERTER AND REACTOR

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent an increase in core loss caused by the eddy current of a reactor, while reducing the power converter in size. SOLUTION: When a voltage higher or lower than an input voltage is generated, by switching the accumulation and the discharge of the energy of the power converter reactor 11 by using switching elements 13, 15, the core of the reactor 11 is made of a molded body formed of a powdery soft-magnetic material. Since the core of the reactor 11 is a molded body formed of the powdery soft-magnetic material, eddy current loss can be suppressed, even if the accumulation and the discharge of the energy of the reactor 11 are switched at a high speed, by forming the switching elements 13, 15 of wide band cap semiconductors. The inductance of the reactor 11 and the rate of ripple current can be reduced by increasing the switching frequency, whereby the reactor 11 and capacitors 3, 3a can be reduced in size. COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI