Energy Stored in Inductors

An inductor is designed to store energy in its magnetic field, which is generated by the current flowing through its coils.

When the current is constant, the voltage across the inductor is zero, causing it to behave as a short circuit for direct current.

The energy stored within an inductor equals the integral of the instantaneous power delivered over time.

By integrating within the limits, an expression for the stored energy consisting of two terms is obtained. The second term is zero, considering the initial condition where no current flowed through the inductor.

Ideal inductors do not dissipate energy, allowing the stored energy to be retrieved later.

However, non-ideal inductors exhibit winding resistance, which originates from the conductor's coils and is presented in series with the inductance.

Although this winding resistance can lead to energy dissipation, it is typically so small that it can be neglected in practical scenarios.

Non-ideal inductors also exhibit winding capacitance attributable to capacitive coupling between the conducting coils. However, this winding capacitance is typically negligible except at high frequencies.