Andreas Ecklebe, ABB Corporate Research, CEI 25.3.2011
Magnetic Component Modeling – an
Example of ABBs Power Electronics
Research
© ABB Group
April 7, 2011 | Slide 1
Overview
© ABB Group
April 7, 2011 | Slide 2

ABB Group

ABB Corporate Research

Research in Power Electronics

Example: Magnetic Component Modeling
A global leader in power and automation technologies
Leading market positions in main businesses
© ABB Group
April 7, 2011 | Slide 3

124,000 employees in
about 100 countries

$35 billion in revenue
(2008)

Formed in 1988 merger
of Swiss and Swedish
engineering companies

Predecessors founded
in 1883 and 1891

Publicly owned company
with head office in
Switzerland
How ABB is organized
Five global divisions
Power
Products
Power
Systems
Discrete
Automation
and Motion
Low Voltage
Products
Process
Automation
$10 billion
32,500
employees
$6.8 billion
17,500
employees
$5.6 billion
25,500
employees
$4.5 billion
20,000
employees
$7.4 billion
26,500
employees
2010 revenues (non-consolidated) and Dec.31, 2010, employee numbers (except Discrete Automation and
Motion division, which includes employees from January acqusition of Baldor)

ABB’s portfolio covers:

© ABB Group
April 7, 2011 | Slide 4
Electricals, automation,
controls and instrumentation
for power generation and
industrial processes

Power transmission

Distribution solutions

Low-voltage products

Motors and drives

Intelligent building systems

Robots and robot systems
Corporate Research Center in Baden-Dättwil

Founded in 1967

Research Areas:

About 200 Employees by
end of 2009

Industrial Automation

> 80 interns/diploma
students/PhD`s in 2009
Power Devices and Systems

Power Electronics

Material Science


© ABB Group
April 7, 2011 | Slide 5
> 30 Nationalities
Power Electronics Research
Research Fields
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April 7, 2011 | Slide 6

Power
Semiconductors

Semiconductors
Packaging

Power Electronics
Integration

Power Electronic
Circuits and Topologies

Power Electronics
Control

Reliability
Power Electronics
Trends, Drivers, Requirements & Challenges
Low Power
Low Voltage
Lower cost,
higher densities,
high IP classes,
Higher efficiency
•
•
•
•
Characteristics
Systems
Low volumes
Low power densities
(typ. ~ 0.5 kW/liter)
High engineering effort
Characteristics
Products
High volumes
High power densities
(typ. ~ 4 kW/liter)
Low cost platform integration
Drivers
Semiconductors (10 kV IGCT, BIGT,
high Tj, SiC, GaN, superjunction,…)
Control algorithms (OPP, MP3C,...)
High performance cooling
Advanced numerical design and optimization
© ABB Group
April 7, 2011 | Slide 7
High Power
High Voltage
•
•
•
•
•
•
Higher power,
higher voltages,
transformer less,
Modularity,
Higher efficiency
Challenges for Integration
Thermal management, mechanical integration
Magnetic components
EM(C) modeling
Design methodologies, Multi-domain modeling
Material science and manufacturability
Reliability
EMC modeling
LV drives example
LV drive
Important parasitics:
1.
Impedance of PCB traces
2.
High frequency behavior of
chokes
3.
Switching behavior of
semiconductors
4.
Capacitances to Gnd of Semiconductors, PCBs, Cables and
the Motor etc.
Simulations
Measurements
© ABB Group
April 7, 2011 | Slide 8
Magnetic Components
EMC Modeling
State-of-the-art in choke modeling:
1.
2.
Physical choke modeling:

Models based on Maxwell equations, e.g. Maxwell 3D (very difficult to model and to extract an
equivalent circuit)

Models based on semi analytic equations, e.g. PExpert (not enough precise for EMC modeling)
Behavioral choke modeling:

One model reproduces only one effect (CM or DM)

Only one resonance peak can be modeled
CM
OC
DM
© ABB Group
April 7, 2011 | Slide 9
Magnetic Components
EMC Modeling
ABB novel behavioral choke modeling technique:
1. One model reproduces all effects (CM, DM and OC)
2. All measured resonance can be modeled
3. Single- and three-phase chokes model is available
4. Automated procedure for the model extraction
© ABB Group
April 7, 2011 | Slide 10
[1] I. Stevanovic and S. Skibin, “Behavioral circuit modeling of single- and three-phase chokes for EMI simulations,” ECCE ASIA June 2010
[2] I. Stevanovic and S. Skibin, “Behavioral circuit modeling of single- and three-phase chokes with multi-resonances,” ECCE Asia June 2011
[3] S. Skibin and I. Stevanovic, “Behavioral circuit modeling of chokes with multi-resonances using genetic algorithm,” IEEE EMC, Aug. 2011
Magnetic Components
Loss Modeling – why?
Same core (AMCC-80), different manufacturers
Same core (N87), same dB, f - different premagnetization
12
Metglas
Antai
Yeke
10
f=5kHz and HDC=0A/m
Losses[W]
8
6
4
2
0
0.1
© ABB Group
April 7, 2011 | Slide 11
0.15
0.2
0.25
0.3
dB[T]
0.35
0.4
0.45
0.5
Magnetic Components
Improved loss modeling
Steinmetz equation
Improved Steinmetz equation
Loss Measurement
J. Mühlethaler, J. Biela, J. W. Kolar, and A. Ecklebe, „Core losses under DC bias condition based on Steinmetz parameters“, ECCE Asia, June 2010.
© ABB Group
April 7, 2011 | Slide 12
Magnetic Components
Results
Formula
T
1
dB
Pv = ∫ ki
T 0 dt
α
(∆B )
β −α
n
dt + ∑ Qrl Prl
l =1
Relaxation
effect
considered.
Results
J. Mühlethaler, J. Biela, J. W. Kolar, and A. Ecklebe, „Improved Core Loss Calculation for Magnetic Components Employed in Power Electronic Systems, APEC, 2011
© ABB Group
April 7, 2011 | Slide 13
Conclusion
© ABB Group
April 7, 2011 | Slide 14

Still room for research and improvements in PE beside
new applications driving research as well

Focus on component details: semiconductors, magnetics,
caps and also related topics as drivers, controller,
auxiliaries

For device and system level:

Thermal Management

Packaging (etc. high temp.) and manufacturability

Multi domain modeling

Component and system optimization including „side“ topics
as reliability, acoustics…

Research results must be applicable to industry
environments
© ABB Group
April 7, 2011 | Slide 15