SIL for E-Drive Systems for Virtual Calibration and Development

In the push to reduce/eliminate physical testing and to perform virtual calibration, it is increasingly important to have accurate and high-fidelity models that replicate the performance of hardware and software for the electric drive system (including the motor and inverter). Fast execution speed of these models is critical if they are to be widely used to replace physical testing and to perform rapid prototyping of controls development in a continuous integration/development manner. Historically, these two requirements have been in conflict with each other in the electric drive modeling space; where high frequency inverter switching and electrical simulations require small model time steps. Utilizing a flexible modeling approach in conjunction with Simscape™, electric drive hardware models can be simulated alongside full software and calibrations, running as a virtual ECU (VECU) to create a true “virtual dyno” achieving close to real time simulations on a standard laptop computer. These models have been validated using physical data, ensuring their accuracy and reliability. By utilizing these models, it is possible to deliver a calibrated electric drive system prior to physical characterization.