Projects
CPE4.0 for intelligent drive technology
The “Cognitive Power Electronics 4.0” (CPE4.0) concept developed at Fraunhofer IISB aims to combine proven power electronics with data analytics and machine learning to enable intelligent digital functionalities from the power electronics level to the system level and to optimize associated value chains.
In the lead project “CPE4.0 for intelligent drive technology”, this approach is transferred to the broad field of electrical drive technology. The motivation for this is to collect critical operating states and faults in the electric motor in real time using information from the drive inverter, to classify them automatically and, if possible, to predict them (predictive analytics).
There are specific requirements for (dynamic) drive technology with regard to the necessary modifications of the hardware and application-specific developments in the field of algorithms. The focus of the research work is on the necessary functional extensions of drive inverters and the utilization of the electrical parameters of the inverter for predictive analysis in real time.
The electric drive thus ultimately becomes an integrated intelligent system that can provide information about its current and future operating status and can also (re-)act autonomously.
PROJECTS
MTAB „Modeling and test of new, high-efficiency, and large-scale integrated drive systems for railway applications “
Life-cycle costs in operation of railway vehicles are important for those who offer local transport services. For this reason, they are also increasingly becoming part of the requirement and functional specifications of the rail vehicle manufacturers. Important factors of influence here are power consumption and – in the international context – weight-dependent track access fees. Therewith, the configuration of the drive train is becoming increasingly important: Its design must be highly weight-optimized and energy-efficient.
The aim of the project is to develop a concept for a large-scale integrated drive train. The key characteristic of this concept is a new high-speed electric machine for the railway sector, which must be embedded in an optimally designed component periphery. The most important components to be considered in addition to the traction motor are the transmission, the drive inverters, and the bogie conception. During the project, a comprehensive weight management is essential, which shall implement a weight reduction in an optimal cost-value-ratio.
The Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Systems and Device Technology IISB is investigating a new, compact converter for railway applications as part of the project. Based on a “digital twin” of both the topologies as well as the novel semiconductor devices and passive components, an application-oriented system design including significant reduction in development time is possible.
Scheme for determining the efficiencies of various 2-level and multi-level power converters with a digital twin
Karlsruher Institut for Technology (KIT), FAST
Fraunhofer IISB
JENOPTIK Power Systems GmbH
Usb GmbH
VIPCO GmbH
Dr.-Ing. Thomas Heckel
Fraunhofer IISB
Schottktystraße 10
91058 Erlangen
Tel. +49 (0)9131 761-436
