Method of manufacturing an inductor

A method of manufacturing an inductor having a core comprising an air gap having a varying width, the method comprising:

• designing the inductor, including the steps of:
• defining physical parameters of the core of the inductor, the physical parameters including dimensions of the air gap;
• defining a plurality of branches of the core;
• approximating the relative permeability of the core material by interpolating between first and second known values of magnetic flux density that exist in the core material when the core material is exposed to first and second values of magnetic field strength, respectively;
• calculating boundary currents that must flow through the inductor for each of the first and second known values of magnetic flux density to exist in each branch of the core;
• and
• establishing the inductance of the inductor at each of the calculated boundary currents, and
• constructing the inductor.