established · Voltage Intensifier Circuit · computed
Leakage inductance and stray capacitance are designed tank elements, not flaws
A real HV step-up transformer's leakage inductance and self/inter-winding capacitance are usually called "parasitics" because in an ordinary transformer they cause ringing and voltage spikes. But in a resonant HV converter — which is what the VIC is — controlled leakage flux IS a built-in resonant inductance: it can replace some or all of an external series resonant inductor. Texas Instruments explicitly designs this way in their resonant-tank guides. The instinct to minimize leakage inductance is correct for a power-transfer transformer, but it is the wrong instinct here: when the goal is voltage POTENTIAL (not power-transfer efficiency), leakage inductance should be deliberately tuned as part of the resonant tank, not treated as a defect to eliminate. Same logic applies to same-side (winding self-) capacitance, which can set resonant frequency deliberately — but barrier-crossing (primary-to-secondary) capacitance should stay only as large as isolation/EMI requires, since it drives common-mode current across the isolation barrier.
Basis
- Confidence
- 0.90
- Published
- 19 Aug 2026
- Device
- Voltage Intensifier Circuit
- Origin
- StanBot lab notebook
- Component
- choke
- Source Ref
- HV Resonant Magnification Using Transformer Leakage Inductance and Parasitic Capacitance (ingested 2026-08-04)
- Recorded At
- 2026-08-04 22:57:02.138052