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Electrical Drive Modeling through a Multiphysics System Simulation Approach //
Electrical Drive Modeling through a
Multiphysics System Simulation Approach
Products Used:
Ansys Simplorer
®
Ansys SCADE Suite
®
Ansys Icepak
®
Ansys RMxprt™
Ansys Maxwell
®
The electric drive system is a key application in power electronics. Optimizing such complex
mechatronic system requires in-depth analysis, expertise and rigorous methodology. This can
be realized in several ways, optimizing each component of the system separately. But using
optimal components does not guarantee optimal behavior of the whole drive. This calls for a
system simulation approach integrating each individual part of the drive system into a common
simulation platform.
APPLICATION BRIEF
/ Electrical Drive
An electric drive is a system that converts electrical energy into mechanical energy. It also
provides electrical control of the whole process through several devices and technologies
(Figure 1). The objective is to create a smooth and versatile control to achieve a specific speed
torque characteristic. It is a key component of the power conversion chain between power
sources and loads.
The AC drive controls the speed of an electrical motor, which can be a synchronous or
induction machine. Depending on the application, the speed of the electrical motor may need
to be adjusted, which is accomplished through the power supply's f requency — hence, the
adjustable or variable f requency drives.
M
CONTROLLER
POWER
SOURCE OR
NETWORK
DRIVE
LOAD
CPU, ASIC, MEMORY
CONTROLLER
Figure 1. Main elements of electric drive system: rectifier, DC circuit, inverter.
