GE Corporate R&D

Rui Zhou

Electronic Power Conversion Program

Electronic Systems and Technologies Lab

General Electric Corporate Research & Development

Integrated Power Electronics Simulations at GE CRD

GE Corporate R&D

• Many simple designs can adequately be addressed using specialized

tools such as SABER.• There are more complex systems and applications that require

simultaneous use of different tools:• Large transient applications: steel mill drives, x-ray and MR imaging,

pulsed radar, …• More complex, multi-disciplinary systems: electronic driven

discharge lamps, motors and electronic drives, …

• Real time control code integration with tools.• Today integration solutions are non-systematic and different for each

design.• Most often solutions rely on tool augmented with C or FORTRAN code.• Use of home-grown integration tools such as GEN III DFSS tools is

typical.

• Many simple designs can adequately be addressed using specialized

tools such as SABER.• There are more complex systems and applications that require

simultaneous use of different tools:• Large transient applications: steel mill drives, x-ray and MR imaging,

pulsed radar, …• More complex, multi-disciplinary systems: electronic driven

discharge lamps, motors and electronic drives, …

• Real time control code integration with tools.• Today integration solutions are non-systematic and different for each

design.• Most often solutions rely on tool augmented with C or FORTRAN code.• Use of home-grown integration tools such as GEN III DFSS tools is

typical.

Tools for Power Electronics System Design

GE Corporate R&D

Electronic Design Tools

Circuit Simulation Tools:• Saber• Pspice• ACSL • Hspice• Cadence/Matrix X

Layout Tools:• Mentor• Cadence• Autocad

Fault Analysis Tools:• Oppmax •TESTIFY (Analogy)

Electromagnetic Tools:• Ansoft

Thermal / Mechanical Tools

Solid Modeling Tools:• UG• IDEAS

Finite Element Tools:• ANSYS/Abaqus• Pro Engineer, UG

Thermal Tools: • Fluent• TMG/IDEAS• Ansys Thermal• Flotherm/Flomerics

Optimization Tools

• GEN III DFSS Tools• iSIGHT

Tools for Power Electronics System Design

Many tools, only point solutions for integrationMany tools, only point solutions for integration

GE Corporate R&D

• Develop an integrated, transient thermo-electric simulation to facilitate design of cardiac X-Ray generator power electronics.

• Determine optimal electrical parameters to maximize x-ray tube performance and filament reliability for a wide range of filament coil geometries.

• Develop an integrated, transient thermo-electric simulation to facilitate design of cardiac X-Ray generator power electronics.

• Determine optimal electrical parameters to maximize x-ray tube performance and filament reliability for a wide range of filament coil geometries.

Example: X-Ray Tube Filament System Design

HT_+

z_KV_meas

z_ILR_meas

ILP_pos_high

ILP_pos_low

ILP_neg_low

ILP_neg_high

clk_32MHz

u3

u3

M_point

NP td control

SABER

Td:1uLoad:120k

I_level_low:15

I_level_high:30

Irp

Irs_1

Irs_2

Irprim Irsec

Irload

11p

Cp

44n

Cs_1

44n

Cs_2

Chv1

ic :0

3u

Cr

Iprim/k

1u

Ls_1

1u

Lr

1u

Ls_2

Lm

gon:1333

d2

gon:1333

d1

d3

d4

Vsec/kvm

vp

Rsec

Rp

Rprim

5Rs_1

5Rs_2

18u

Lp

U8

U15

U10M_point

U14

U11

U2

U1

U4

gnd

Chv2

ic :0

short_Lm

ccvs_4p

k:1cn

cp

IGBT_high

IGBT_low

100k

100k

pwld7

von:200

gon:5m

goff:30p

pwld8

von:200

gon:5mgoff:30p

igbt_high

ccvs_4p

k:-1

cn

cp

ILP_pos_high

ILP_pos_low

ILP_neg_low

ILP_neg_high

ILP_input

a2z

zout

smp

ain

gnd

Z

zsmp

100meg

smp

a2z

zout

smp

ain

gnd

LOGIC_4

CLOCK

clock_l4

freq:32megduty:0.5

U1

M_point

U10

u3

HT_+

U1

U11U11

U14 U14 U14

M_point

M_point

M_point

U7

z_sampler_clk

partner

kv_ctrl_board

igbt_h_cmd

igbt_l_cmd

ILR_meas

KV_meas

clk_32mhz

ILP_neg_high

ILP_neg_low

ILP_pos_low

ILP_pos_high

gnd

200

v3

DC_BUS_+

DC_BUS_+

200

v2

_n483

_n483

gnd

gnd

PWL

DSP Controlled Power ConverterDSP Controlled Power Converter X-Ray Tube and FilamentX-Ray Tube and Filament

GE Corporate R&D

• The X-ray generator needs to quickly increase the filament temperature before x-rays can be emitted from the tube.

• Achieve faster response, without overheating the filament.• Take into account filament, geometry, environment, aging,...

• The X-ray generator needs to quickly increase the filament temperature before x-rays can be emitted from the tube.

• Achieve faster response, without overheating the filament.• Take into account filament, geometry, environment, aging,...

Filament current boost Increased filament temperature

Example: X-Ray Tube Filament System Design

GE Corporate R&D

Thermal Model(SRDC IDEAS)

Filament Geometry & Properties (FORTRAN)

Tube Geometry & Properties (many)

Integrated Simulation Approach

Generator Output(SABER+C real time)

Electron-Optical Emission Model (Opera-3D)

Temperatures

e- EmissionProperties

Transient Thermal-Electric Model (Simulink)

Filament Temperature

Filament Life

X-Ray Time

HT_+

z_KV_meas

z_ILR_meas

ILP_pos_high

ILP_pos_low

ILP_neg_low

ILP_neg_high

clk_32MHz

u3

u3

M_point

NP td control

SABER

Td:1uLoad:120k

I_level_low:15

I_level_high:30

Irp

Irs_1

Irs_2

Irprim Irsec

Irload

11p

Cp

44n

Cs_1

44n

Cs_2

Chv1

ic :0

3u

Cr

Iprim/k

1u

Ls_1

1u

Lr

1u

Ls_2

Lm

gon:1333

d2

gon:1333

d1

d3

d4

Vsec/kvm

vp

Rsec

Rp

Rprim

5Rs_1

5Rs_2

18u

Lp

U8

U15

U10M_point

U14

U11

U2

U1

U4

gnd

Chv2

ic :0

short_Lm

ccvs_4p

k:1cn

cp

IGBT_high

IGBT_low

100k

100k

pwld7

von:200

gon:5m

goff:30p

pwld8

von:200

gon:5mgoff:30p

igbt_high

ccvs_4p

k:-1

cn

cp

ILP_pos_high

ILP_pos_low

ILP_neg_low

ILP_neg_high

ILP_input

a2z

zout

smp

ain

gnd

Z

z smp

100meg

smp

a2z

zout

smp

ain

gnd

LOGIC_4

CLOCK

clock_l4

freq:32megduty :0.5

U1

M_point

U10

u3

HT_+

U1

U11U11

U14 U14 U14

M_point

M_point

M_point

U7

z_sampler_clk

partner

kv_ctrl_board

igbt_h_cmd

igbt_l_cmd

ILR_meas

KV_meas

c lk_32mhz

ILP_neg_high

ILP_neg_low

ILP_pos_low

ILP_pos_high

gnd

200

v3

DC_BUS_+

DC_BUS_+

200

v2

_n483

_n483

gnd

gnd

PWL

GE Corporate R&D

Electrodless Fluorescent

Electronic Halogen

Integral CMH

• Challenge is to achieve fully optimized design.

• Very close interaction between electronics and light source.

• Challenge is to achieve fully optimized design.

• Very close interaction between electronics and light source.

Example: Integral Electronic Lamp Design

GE Corporate R&D

iSIGHT or GEN III environ.iSIGHT or GEN III environ.Code Integrationand System Optimization

System Simulation Circuit Layout Lamp Coil Model

Physics-Based Discharge Model in Saber Physics-Based Discharge Model in Saber

DFSS Analysis:• Scorecards• FMEA•DFR

SaberSaber Simulator Ansoft FEA

Example: Integral Electronic Lamp Design

GE Corporate R&DDFSS to Increase Simulation Speed

Identify Key X’s Identify Y’s

Create DoE

Create TransferFunctions

Run FE Models

Validate TransferFunctions

Complex Finite Element Model

Simple Polynomial Equation(Transfer Function)

Y = x12 + x2

2 + x1x2 + ...

GE Corporate R&DSimulation Automation

Microsoft Excel

Identify X’s and Y’s

Select DoE

Chose Simulation

Run Simulation Send X’s

Get Y’s

Perform Regression

Run X1 X2 X3 X4 Y1 Y21 -1 -1 -1 -1 44.4 42.92 1 -1 -1 -1 61.9 59.73 -1 1 -1 -1 48.7 47.24 1 1 -1 -1 70.5 68.25 -1 -1 1 -1 42.8 40.76 1 -1 1 -1 57.6 54.27 -1 1 1 -1 44.9 42.88 1 1 1 -1 62.7 59.39 -1 -1 -1 1 44.6 42.710 1 -1 -1 1 62.5 59.1

Desktop PC Workstation

Need well integrated simulations to automate optimizationNeed well integrated simulations to automate optimization

GE Corporate R&D

EvaluatePerformance

(Saber)

EvaluatePerformance

(Saber)

Design CircuitSchematic/Layout

Design CircuitSchematic/Layout

General Design Process for ElectronicsGeneral Design Process for Electronics

PerformDRC/ERC(Dracula)

PerformDRC/ERC(Dracula)

ComponentSelection

ComponentSelectionPCB SpecsPCB Specs

Yield PredictionYield PredictionEvaluate/Optimize

Cost Function(Cost = Wp * Performance

+ Wy * Yield )

Evaluate/Optimize Cost Function

(Cost = Wp * Performance+ Wy * Yield )

Vary Design Parameters,Component Selection,

PCB Specs

Vary Design Parameters,Component Selection,

PCB Specs

OptimizedProcess

OptimizedProcess

Feed Forward Path

Feed Back Path

Final Path

Optimization Paths

There is a broader need for systematic design processThere is a broader need for systematic design process

GE Corporate R&D

PDM solution helps to enable this collaboration. It provides:• GE-wide connectivity to the databases and tools• Workflow control• The required levels of security for the data

PDM solution helps to enable this collaboration. It provides:• GE-wide connectivity to the databases and tools• Workflow control• The required levels of security for the data

Collaboration between multi-functional teams, customers, vendors and partners across a business in a structured, disciplined fashion and implemented over the

web

Collaboration between multi-functional teams, customers, vendors and partners across a business in a structured, disciplined fashion and implemented over the

web

3-D Solid Models

Simulation & Analytics

DFSS Gen III Tools

Web-basedConnectivity

Manufacturing Process

Capabilities

DigitalPrototyping

Adv. Sys.Eng.

(scorecards)

Knowledge Warehouse

Low-cost implementa-

tion

ProductData Mgmt.

e-Engineering Pyramid

GE’s e-Engineering Vision

GE Corporate R&D

• Need for solutions that speed complex interactions among analysis

programs.• Engineering portals for promoting common tools, methodologies and

models.• Data security.• A PDM solution where design, engineering, production and suppliers

exchange information using neutral formats.• No single standard can address all interactions, however many

protocols have been or are being defined such as XML, HTML, STEP,

IGES, DXF, ODB++, etc.• A collaborative product design environment via the web.• GE - wide connectivity to the databases and tools.• Unified, company - wide tool / data platforms and strategies with

seamless company - wide access.

• Need for solutions that speed complex interactions among analysis

programs.• Engineering portals for promoting common tools, methodologies and

models.• Data security.• A PDM solution where design, engineering, production and suppliers

exchange information using neutral formats.• No single standard can address all interactions, however many

protocols have been or are being defined such as XML, HTML, STEP,

IGES, DXF, ODB++, etc.• A collaborative product design environment via the web.• GE - wide connectivity to the databases and tools.• Unified, company - wide tool / data platforms and strategies with

seamless company - wide access.

Tool / Data / Workflow Integration: Needs