Inductors, Chokes,

Reactors, Filters…
What's in a name?
by Anthony J. Kourtessis
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Inductors, Chokes, Reactors, Filters…
What's in a name?

Inductors, Chokes, Reactors, and Filters: These ubiquitous terms are familiar to most
engineers and are typically used interchangeably. Fundamentally they’re all the same
but their electro-magnetic characteristics are optimized for different operations. All
refer to one kind of unit (an Inductor, a passive, two terminal device), their usage is
more application specific.

WHAT IS AN INDUCTOR?
An Inductor is an electro-magnetic component (possessing the property of
inductance (L) that comes in many shapes and physical sizes.

Figure 1: Typical L
Schematic Diagram
of an Inductor, a
Choke or Reactor

(L) is the symbol for Inductance

A typical inductor is constructed using insulated wire conductors, wound into a coil
usually around a ferromagnetic core material such as iron. This kind is called an “Iron
Core” Inductor. Inductors having magnetic materials other than iron (nickel, cobalt,
etc.) are also called “Iron Core” inductors.

An Inductor without a core or when its magnetic path is through the air, is called an
“Air Core” Inductor. Inductors wound around non-magnetic core materials such as
ceramic and plastic rods are also called “Air Core” inductors.

Air Core Inductor Iron Core Inductor

Coil

Figure 2: Iron Core

Air core Iron core
vs Air Core Inductor

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Inductors, Chokes, Reactors, Filters…
What's in a name?

A current "i" flowing through the coil of an Inductor develops a voltage potential "e"
across its contact leads and temporarily stores electric energy in a magnetic field
within the core and around the coil. The core increases the inductance and efficiency
of an Inductor by concentrating the magnetic flux lines of the field entirely within its
closed magnetic path structure.

In contrast, in the case of an (Air Core) Inductor, there is an open magnetic path
structure and some of the magnetic flux lines escape, resulting in a proportional loss
of energy.

Magnetic flux lines

escaping the magnetic field

i
Figure 3: Magnetic
Flux Lines in an Air +
Core Inductor e
–

Magnetic flux lines

within the magnetic field

KEY USES OF INDUCTORS

The Inductor is mainly used for introducing Inductance L into an electric circuit to
prevent changes to the current in the circuit. A changing electric current through a
circuit containing inductance induces a proportional voltage potential of opposite
polarity which opposes the change in current and keeps it regulated. Some Iron Core
Inductors have air gaps in their magnetic path so the magnetic flux lines must cross
the gap. This action produces an Inductor with more linear properties then an un-
gapped Inductor. Ferromagnetic materials without an interruption in their magnetic
path exhibit non-linear behavior.
Inductors are extensively employed in Alternating Current (AC) analog circuit
and Direct Current (DC) applications. Typical end product examples are radios,
televisions, switch mode power supplies, DC-DC converters, computers, lap tops,
pads, battery powered devices, communications equipment and many other
electromechanical products.

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Inductors, Chokes, Reactors, Filters…
What's in a name?

Air Gap

Figure 4: Air
Gapped Iron Core
Inductor Coil

Laminated Iron Core

There are two main Inductor types in the industry today:

• Chokes: known as DC Chokes, Filter Chokes, DC Inductors.

• Reactors: referred to as AC Inductors, Filter Inductors.

WHAT IS A CHOKE?
A Choke is an Inductor type with or without a ferromagnetic core, used to block,
hence “choke”, alternating current (AC) in a circuit by limiting the rate of change over
a specified frequency range, while allowing passage of lower frequency AC or direct
current (DC). This effect is often used in power supply circuits where the public
AC mains (line) supply has to be converted to a DC supply suitable for powering
electronic circuits.

Chokes filter out AC ripples in DC power supplies (linear or switch mode) to ensure
a steady, smooth DC output by reducing ripple voltage and ripple current. When
used in RF (Radio Frequency) applications, chokes are designed to pass only DC and
exclusively prevent everything else from going through.

CHOKE APPLICATIONS AND SUBCATEGORIES

Chokes are employed in various electronic filters to separate signals of different
frequencies, blocking or decoupling higher frequencies. In combination with one or
more capacitors they make tuned choke circuits for radios and receivers. These are
low-pass bandwidth filters since they weed out high frequencies and pass lower ones
through.

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Inductors, Chokes, Reactors, Filters…
What's in a name?

Chokes can be found in circuits such as Colpitts, Hartley, and Clapp oscillators used
for the generation of sinusoidal output signals with very high frequencies. Boost
inductors, fly-back inductors, and buck inductors are inductors used in some DC to
DC converters.

Chokes are divided into two categories:

• Audio Frequency Chokes (AFC) – designed to block audio and power line
frequencies (below 20 KHz) of AC while allowing DC to pass. These are “iron core”
filter Chokes delivering smooth DC in audio video equipment or modulation Chokes
in transmitters modulating the carrier wave.

• Radio Frequency Chokes (RFC) – designed to block radio frequencies of AC (above

20 KHz) while allowing DC to pass. These are “air core” Chokes used with capacitors
to select the desired radio frequency signal and reject all others.

Figure 5: Signal’s
Range of Chokes

WHAT IS A REACTOR?
A Reactor is a ferromagnetic core Inductor type, the purpose of which is to introduce
inductive reactance into a high current AC power line or load circuit in order to
increase its impedance. In electrical transmission systems reactors are used to limit
switching and fault currents.

Since a reactor’s impedance increases with frequency, reactors are very good in
suppressing high frequency electrical noise therefore are used often for electrical/
electronic conditioning. With a low electrical resistance a Reactor can pass both low
frequency AC and DC current with very little power loss however due to its reactance
it limits significantly the amount of higher frequency AC.

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Inductors, Chokes, Reactors, Filters…
What's in a name?

INPUT VS OUTPUT REACTORS

A Reactor installed at the input stage of a single phase or three phase AC power
drive adds line impedance so as to limit the flow of electrical current in transients,
reduce harmonics, short circuit currents, attenuate line spikes and surge currents.
These undesirable signals are generated from switch gear such as contactors and
disconnects. A Reactor placed on the input stage of the AC power drive of a single or
three phase system also improves the power factor, mitigates voltage distortion and
current imbalance.

A Reactor installed at the output stage of a single phase or three phase AC power
drive adds load impedance helping to bring back the total load inductance to a level
the drive can handle, by reducing ripple current and improving significantly motor
performance. A Reactor also helps prevent reflected wave voltage spikes when long
motor leads are required in connecting the output of the converter to the motor (the
Reactor is placed between the converter and the motor).

Figure 6: Signal’s
Range of Reactors

Regardless of Inductor type, when specifying the correct inductance value, one
must give consideration to: current ratings, DC resistance, maximum operating
temperature, efficiency, inductance tolerance, frequency and parasitic elements such
as R, C & L.

See Bel’s Selection of Signal inductors,

chokes and reactors.

LEARN MORE

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