Our solutions accelerate the development and the validation of all power electronics components for electric vehicles. This applies especially to in-vehicle applications that require different voltages to connect different sources and loads. Highly efficient converters for the charging process (AC/DC converters using ultra-fast (>200kHz) power electronics) and in-vehicle power management converters (DC/DC converters) serve this purpose. Depending on the vehicle architecture, this kind of converter control can also be integrated in the charging controller as well as in the motor controller. Similar conversions apply not only to automotive components, but to any kind of power electronics typologies.
Challenges
Since the various electric systems of an electric vehicle operate at different voltage levels, intelligently controlled power electronics components guarantee an efficient energy transfer. This applies to all different types of electric vehicles such as plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV), battery electric vehicles (BEV), hybrid electric vehicles (HEV), and fuel cell vehicles (FCV).
- During DC charging of PHEV and BEV, the electric energy flows directly from the charging station to the high-voltage vehicle battery. In case of AC charging, the AC/DC conversion is performed via the vehicle onboard charger which is connected to the high-voltage battery. In addition, DC/DC converters are used to generate the energy for lower voltage levels (12 V and 48 V).
- In FCV, the DC voltage provided by the fuel cell also must be converted.
- In mild HEV, the high-voltage level is usually 48 V. Bidirectional DC/DC converters are used to interconnect the 12 V and 48 V board net.
Reduction of size and weight as well as increasing efficiency are major challenges of converter development.
Our Solutions for Power Management
dSPACE offers a wide range of solutions for developing and testing control algorithms and power electronics throughout the entire range of electric vehicle components.
Starting from simple DC/DC converters up to complex power management units connecting several energy sources (onboard charger, high-voltage battery, low-voltage batteries), dSPACE brings your ideas to life.
In addition to our product portfolio, customer-specific functions and implementations are available on request.
Rapid Prototyping
HIL Testing
Central Test Method for Validating ECUs
The dSPACE HIL test systems provide a simulated environment for efficient and reproducible validation of real ECUs in the laboratory on a 24/7 basis. Our HIL solutions cover all kinds of power electronics applications – from component testing to virtual vehicle testing. Benefit from their numerous highlights including:
- Gate signal processing in the range of nanoseconds
- Ready-to-use toolboxes including FPGA models for established power electronics topologies
- Topology-based real-time simulation-capable models using the circuit diagram (Simscape Electrical™ Specialized Power Systems)
- Optical high-speed communication interface (multi-gigabit transceiver) to easily distribute large topologies across multiple FPGAs
How to Select the Optimum dSPACE Solution for Simulation
High dynamics and fast switching of semiconductor devices make simulating power electronics circuits in real time an ambitious task. dSPACE provides different tools for this task and can help you find the right solution.
- Complex topology-based real-time simulation at medium speed based on the circuit diagram (EPSS – processor-based approach)
- Topology-based real-time simulation at high speed based on the circuit diagram (EPSS – FPGA-based approach)
- Ready-to-use FPGA models of well-known circuits for simulation at extremely high speeds (XSG Power Electronics Systems)
- Customer-specific FPGA-based implementation for cutting-edge performance
Power HIL Testing
Closing the Gap Between HIL and Dynamometer Testing
With our power HIL systems, we offer ready-to-use solutions for testing any kind of inverter, including the controller and power electronics, at full power. Using real voltages and currents, our systems enable you to complete exceptionally rigorous tests. Our systems behave like a digital twin of the real system and allow for easy configuration with just a few clicks, which significantly reduces setup times.
SIL Testing
Software-in-the loop (SIL) testing with the powerful dSPACE solution for PC- and cloud-based simulation
With the dSPACE solution for software-in-the loop (SIL) testing, you can significantly accelerate your software development process by testing and validating virtually. dSPACE offers you a complete, modular, scalable development and test solution. You can conveniently simulate a device-under-test on a PC, connect it to physics-based models, run scalable tests in the cloud, and then easily reuse test scripts on hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) systems.
Bus & Network Communication
Test Data Management
Data Management and Collaboration Software for Automated ECU Testing
SYNECT, our solution for the efficient and automated verification and validation of ECU software, helps engineers worldwide handle all test parameters, their dependencies, versions and variants, and the underlying requirements throughout the entire development process.
This results in consistent data versions and complete traceability as required in homologation processes, and an efficient reuse of data in other projects.
Production Software Development
Optimized Production Software Development
The central challenges in production software development include the optimization of RAM resources, run time, and integration into the overall system. Furthermore, it must be possible to split the software in such a way that regular software updates are possible. And before the final software release, special validation and often a release process are required.
Simulation Modeling
Development support from start to finish
Developing complex E/E systems and software with ever more safety-critical functions, especially in the area of autonomous systems, raises the question of guaranteeing function reliability. That's why dSPACE offers end-to-end expertise in functional safety, test strategy development as well as verification and validation in complex E/E processes - to support you from the earliest project stages to homologation.
dSPACE systems are easy to get up and running – however, if a project is more complex, if individual solutions are needed or if there is high time pressure, you can also trust dSPACE's fast, competent and reliable engineering services.
