Incorporating OPAL-RT’s Simulation Technology into Drive System Design’s - Motor Control Development Method

With a proliferation of companies investing in electrification, Drive System Design has successfully deployed its Motor Control Development Method to best help partners identify, design, and develop efficient and effective electric motor and inverter control systems.

Introduced in late 2022, DSD’s approach capitalizes on its electrified propulsion system expertise and ability to span simulation lead design, virtual validation, and physical validation, bringing together a unique four-step process. Too often, the company found that industry players were jumping from design release to hardware testing, only to end up with complex hardware issues to overcome and stopping critical programs in their tracks.

With the help of OPAL-RT’s Control Hardware-in-the-Loop (C-HIL) and Power Hardware-in-the-Loop (P-HIL) technology, DSD’s method ensures more robust, reliable control architecture and algorithms before ever touching a dynamometer (dyno) test cell. This minimizes risk while saving potentially months of time and tens of thousands of dollars for its customers.

DSD’s approach encompasses the following:

Phase 1: Concept evaluation and design with advanced co-simulation

Control algorithms, finite element analysis (FEA) motor models, and the power electronics model are designed and developed during this phase. A closed-loop, advanced co-simulation of the entire system is then performed, which helps identify any early-stage electromagnetic and control interaction challenges, as well as providing key data for higher-level system analysis activities.

Phase 2: Detailed design and validation with C-HIL

During this phase, DSD leverages OPAL-RT’s C-HIL equipment, which was customized for DSD’s specific use cases, to emulate motor behavior and sensor feedback so that a large proportion of the software and low voltage hardware validation can be performed. DSD utilizes inverter control board hardware with deployed software and the real-time simulation of the motor model to enable development and validation of safety monitoring and fault handling.

Phase 3: Component level testing with P-HIL

At this stage, DSD utilizes OPAL-RT’s P-HIL equipment, which is capable of emulating motor behavior at full power. Full power is run through the inverter with deployed software, along with a battery and high voltage motor emulator. Whilst the motor is emulated, real current and power are being pushed through real inverter hardware to validate its power stage and control. As needed, DSD can leverage its open platform inverter to develop, calibrate, and validate the motor controls quickly and efficiently in this phase of testing.

Phase 4: System level testing and validation on a dyno test cell

After completing phases 1-3, the motor enters the dyno test cell for system validation utilizing inverter and motor hardware together with a battery emulator.

Through this comprehensive approach, DSD’s customers have been successfully developing complex new motor control architectures and pairing inverters and motors far more effectively, ahead of shorter, more efficient physical validation programs. Applicable to an array of motor technologies, DSD is confident that this robust method and advanced equipment will take the company – and their partners – far into the future.

Learn more

DSD and OPAL-RT are partnering on a series of webinars taking place in March onwards, to explore each phase of this unique process. Watch out for LinkedIn announcements and register at mobex.io/webinars to tune in.

Read the full magazine here.