Real-time Virtual Prototypes for the Power Electronics Supply Chain

本课题研究电力电子系统的计算机仿真方法。电力电子系统是电动汽车动力总成、船舶推进、航空航天、可再生能源和配电等关键能源转换应用领域中必不可少的子系统。它们是由电气、机械和热管理子系统和组件组成的复杂组件。优化的系统设计需要了解组件之间的电气、电磁和热相互作用--组件在系统制造过程中的集成方式可能会对系统性能和寿命产生重大影响。为了实现有效的数字系统设计优化，需要能够从部件传递到系统制造商的计算机模型。电力电子元件制造商提供的现有模型仅限于电路模型，无法解释所使用的3D系统几何结构、元件布局或制造工艺。可以提供3D CAD组件模型，但要有用，需要详细和高分辨率的模型，以暴露IP。然后需要复杂的有限元模拟来评估这些模型，而且这些模拟的计算非常昂贵--可能需要几天时间才能完成。过去，在给定预期运行条件的情况下，模型被用来评估最坏情况下的电气和热性能，但寿命和可靠性越来越受到关注。预测最坏情况下的电气和热性能非常简单，因为可以很容易地定义和模拟最大功率和环境温度工作点。预测部件的寿命和使用间隔更加困难，因为部件磨损是由正常运行条件下的累积应力和损坏决定的--在可接受的性能范围内，不同的条件可以提供截然不同的使用寿命。磨损也会在很长的时间内发生，这需要进行长时间的仿真，如果所使用的模型不是非常有效，这将进一步增加运行仿真所需的时间。RTVP模型使用降阶建模算法，使模型的模拟速度比传统有限元模型快1000多倍。然后，这些模型可以非常快速地耦合在一起并进行模拟(在某些情况下比实时更快)，以允许系统制造商评估延长时间段内的系统性能，包括磨损和可靠性。此外，模型可以配置为隐藏敏感的设计和性能数据，这将使组件制造商能够发布其组件的准确3D模型模拟模型，同时保护敏感的知识产权。这些模型可以组合在一起，产生系统设计的全数字“虚拟样机”，消除了构造和测试物理样机的需要，从而降低了设计成本，提高了系统性能。

This project investigates computer simulation methods for power electronic systems. Power electronic systems are essential sub-systems in key energy conversion application areas such as electric vehicle powertrains, marine propulsion, aerospace, renewable energy and power distribution. They are complex assemblies of electrical, mechanical and thermal management sub-systems and components. Optimal system designs require understanding of electrical, electromagnetic and thermal interactions between components - the way in which a component is integrated during system manufacture can have a significant effect on system performance and lifetime. Computer models that can be passed from component to system manufacturers are needed to allow effective digital system design optimisation. Existing models provided by power electronic component manufacturers are limited to circuit models which cannot account for the 3D system geometry, component placement, or manufacturing processes used. 3D CAD component models could be provided but to be useful, detailed and high-resolution models are needed which would expose IP. Complex Finite Element simulations would then be needed to evaluate these models and these simulations are extremely computationally expensive - potentially taking days to complete. Historically, models have been used to evaluate worst case electrical and thermal performance given expected operating conditions but increasingly, lifetime and reliability is of concern. Predicting worst-case electrical and thermal performance is straightforward because maximum power and ambient temperature operating points can easily be defined and simulated. Predicting lifetime and service intervals for components is more difficult as component wear-out is determined by accumulated stress and damage sustained under normal operating conditions - different conditions within the acceptable performance envelope can give drastically different service lifetimes. Wear-out also occurs over long time periods which necessitates long simulations, if the models used are not incredibly efficient then this further increases the amount of time required to run the simulations.The research undertaken will propose a new Real-Time Virtual Prototype (RTVP) model architecture for power electronic components. The RTVP models utilise reduced order modelling algorithms that allow the models to simulate over 1000 times faster than conventional Finite Element models. These models can then be coupled together and simulated very quickly (faster than real-time in certain scenarios) to allow system manufacturers to evaluate system performance, including wear-out and reliability, over extended time periods. Furthermore, the models can be configured to hide sensitive design and performance data which will enable component manufacturers to release accurate, 3D models simulation models of their components whilst protecting sensitive IP. These models can be combined to produce full digital "virtual prototypes" of system designs, eliminating the need for construction and testing of physical prototypes, leading to reduced design costs and increased system performance.