1. Integrated Power Electronics Simulations at GE CRD
Rui Zhou
Electronic Power Conversion Program
Electronic Systems and Technologies Lab
General Electric Corporate Research & Development

2. Tools for Power Electronics System Design
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.

3. Many tools, only point solutions for integration
Tools for Power Electronics System Design
Electronic Design Tools
Thermal / Mechanical Tools
Solid Modeling Tools: UG
IDEAS
Circuit Simulation Tools:
Saber
Pspice
ACSL
Hspice
Cadence/Matrix X
Finite Element Tools:
ANSYS/Abaqus
Pro Engineer, UG
Thermal Tools:
Fluent
TMG/IDEAS
Ansys Thermal
Flotherm/Flomerics
Layout Tools:
Mentor
Cadence
Autocad
Fault Analysis Tools:
Oppmax
TESTIFY (Analogy)
Optimization Tools
Electromagnetic Tools:
Ansoft
GEN III DFSS Tools
iSIGHT
Many tools, only point solutions for integration

4. DSP Controlled Power Converter X-Ray Tube and Filament
Example: X-Ray Tube Filament System Design
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.
DSP Controlled Power Converter
X-Ray Tube and Filament

5. Filament current boost Increased filament temperature
Example: X-Ray Tube Filament System Design
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

6. Integrated Simulation Approach
Thermal Model
(SRDC IDEAS)
Temperatures
Filament Geometry & Properties (FORTRAN)
Electron-Optical Emission
Model (Opera-3D)
Tube Geometry & Properties (many)
e- Emission
Properties
Transient Thermal-Electric
Model (Simulink)
Filament Life
Filament Temperature
Generator Output
(SABER+C real time)
X-Ray Time

7. Example: Integral Electronic Lamp Design
Challenge is to achieve fully optimized design.
Very close interaction between electronics and light source.
Electrodless
Fluorescent
Electronic Halogen
Integral CMH

8. Physics-Based Discharge Model in Saber
Example: Integral Electronic Lamp Design
Code Integration
and System
Optimization
DFSS Analysis:
Scorecards
FMEA
DFR
iSIGHT or GEN III environ.
Saber
Saber Simulator
Ansoft FEA
System Simulation
Circuit Layout
Lamp Coil Model
Physics-Based Discharge Model in Saber

9. DFSS to Increase Simulation Speed
Identify Key X’s
Identify Y’s
Create DoE
Run FE Models
Complex Finite Element Model
Create Transfer
Functions
Y = x12 + x22 + x1x
Validate Transfer
Functions
Simple Polynomial Equation
(Transfer Function)

10. Simulation Automation
Microsoft Excel
Chose Simulation
Identify X’s and Y’s
Select DoE
Desktop PC
Workstation
Run Simulation
Send X’s
Get Y’s
Perform Regression
Need well integrated simulations to automate optimization

11. General Design Process for Electronics
Design Circuit
Schematic/Layout
Optimization Paths
Feed Forward Path
Feed Back Path
Perform
DRC/ERC
(Dracula)
Evaluate
Performance
(Saber)
Final Path
PCB Specs
Component
Selection
Vary Design Parameters,
Component Selection,
PCB Specs
Evaluate/Optimize
Cost Function
(Cost = Wp * Performance
+ Wy * Yield )
Yield Prediction
Optimized
Process
There is a broader need for systematic design process

12. Manufacturing Process Capabilities
GE’s e-Engineering Vision
Collaboration between multi-functional teams, customers, vendors and partners across a business in a structured, disciplined fashion and implemented over the web
Knowledge Warehouse
e-Engineering Pyramid
Adv. Sys.Eng.
(scorecards)
Product Data Mgmt.
Low-cost
implementa-
tion
Web-based
Connectivity
Manufacturing Process Capabilities
3-D Solid Models
Simulation &
Analytics
Digital Prototyping
DFSS Gen III Tools
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

13. Tool / Data / Workflow Integration: Needs
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.