RT20 | Considerations for Performing Power-Hardware-in-the-Loop Based Motor Emulation: Modeling and Control

​Power hardware-in-the-loop (PHIL) based machine emulation is increasingly being recognized as an effective approach for simplifying the testing of electric drive systems. In machine emulation, a power electronic converter emulates the behavior of an electric motor, thus allowing testing of a drive system prior to the prototyping of an electric motor. Machine emulation provides several benefits in the electric drive system testing process, ultimately leading to reduced time to market for the drive system. This presentation addresses two important implementation aspects concerning machine emulation. One is the machine modeling approach and level of detail, and its subsequent impact on emulation accuracy. This presentation will outline the necessity of detailed machine models to accurately emulate specific machine behavior. The second aspect is several associated considerations: the closed-loop control of the PHIL interface for machine emulation, the associated bandwidth and other limitations based on the power amplifier selection, and the emulator control interaction with the drive converter controls.