Modeling and Simulation of Inverter Switching Characteristics for HEV BLDC Motors

Although many simulations and analyses of three-phase insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) switching devices exist in the offline and post processing arenas, real-time simulation environments require varying levels of fidelity of real-time capable models, depending on the task at hand. This paper presents a comparison between existing basic real-time modeling techniques and more advanced techniques capable of simulating complex electrical characteristics in high fidelity, while retaining the capability of real-time simulation. Model development, simulation, and analysis of results was performed at Mississippi State University in an effort to better understand the effects of multiple brushless direct current (BLDC) IGBT inverters operating on the same high-voltage bus. Basic analysis of switching characteristics from one and multiple brushless direct current (BLDC) IGBT inverters operating on the same high-voltage bus is presented, along with simulation results that show a clear relationship between harmonic content on a DC bus with multiple BLDC motors and vehicle speed.