APERT Uses OPAL-RT for FPGA Simulation of Matrix Power Converters

The Company

The Applied Electronics Research Team (APERT) is formed by teachers and researchers of the Electronic Technology Area of the Electronics Department, and all of them carry out their activities at the Faculty of Engineering of Bilbao, Spain. Part of APERT’s research work is focused on power and control circuits for energy converters.

The Challenges

• Complex Power Converter Simulation: Power converter models require very small simulation time steps due to high-frequency semiconductor switching.
• Large System Models: Power converters are integrated into larger systems such as wind turbines, increasing model complexity and computation time.
• Real-Time Validation Requirements: Long simulation times and application testing requirements made real-time simulation necessary.

The OPAL-RT Solution

• Real-Time FPGA Simulation: APERT uses OPAL-RT eFPGAsim and FPGA-based simulation to study advanced power converter applications.
• Parallel Computing Architecture: Models were separated into subsystems to maximize parallel execution and improve simulation performance.
• Rapid Control Prototyping: Validated control algorithms were implemented on the OP5130 FPGA through eFPGAsim (RT-XSG) for RCP applications.

The Results

• Faster Algorithm Development: The platform increased the speed of development and implementation of new control algorithms.
• Real-Time Functional Validation: Real-time simulation enabled validation of application functionalities, including risk-related scenarios.
• Accelerated Prototyping: RCP facilitated the implementation of validated control algorithms on real prototypes.
• Improved Research Efficiency: APERT reported improved publication quality and reduced project implementation time.

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