Opal-RT Integrates JRI Solutions’ JMAG-RT with RT-LAB-based eDRIVEsim

Anticipating the complex engineering demands of designing hybrid vehicles today and in the future, in particular very high frequency electronic systems, Opal-RT Technologies today announced RTLAB.JMAG(TM) – integrated software optimized for high-precision motor and drive real-time simulation. Opal-RT is the leading provider of distributed real-time simulation and hardware-in-the-loop testing systems.

Developed in cooperation with Tokyo-based JRI Solutions, RTLAB.JMAG combines Opal-RT’s RT-LAB(TM) real-time simulation technology with JMAG-RT(R), part of JRI Solutions’ Finite Element Analysis (FEA) tool suite. JMAG-RT supports high-fidelity simulation of non-linear phenomena due to motor construction yielding to non-linear induced flux, and is used by engineering organizations worldwide to design electrical motors. RT-LAB, Opal-RT’s flagship technology, is a real-time simulation platform that enables the distributed simulation of complex electromechanical devices, power systems, and controllers on multiple FPGA and Intel-based x86 processors.

The combination of these two leading simulation tools enable RTLAB.JMAG to simulate the complete drive including IGBT converters, in the small time steps required for circuit simulation and control testing.

RTLAB.JMAG is a key component of eDRIVEsim(TM), also announced today by Opal-RT. eDRIVEsim is the newest RT-LAB based platform for designing advanced power electronic control systems and performing HIL testing of controllers used in high speed electric motors, power converters, and hybrid drives.

“As hybrid electric drives increase in complexity, so must the tools for designing and testing them,” says Jean Belanger, President, Opal-RT Technologies Inc. “Through maintaining technology partnerships with key developers like JRI Solutions, Opal-RT continues to develop simulation solutions that provide the software platforms and computational power necessary to meet these engineering challenges.”

“Using accurate finite element JMAG motor and IGBT models with a fast HIL system, as supplied by OPAL-RT, is very important in the design and optimization of fuel cell hybrid vehicles, and provides a significant benefit to Toyota’s customers,” said Tetsuhiro Ishikawa of Toyota Motor Corporation.

Along with Mitsubishi and Hitachi, Toyota is among the first major manufacturers to implement eDRIVEsim, taking advantage of the product’s RTLAB.JMAG support.

Benefits of FEA-based Simulation

One of the most critical issues facing engineers conducting a real-time simulation of hybrid drives is how to attain acceptable model accuracy with an achievable simulation time-step. While a simple Park two-axis model is usually sufficient to conduct most HIL tests, increased model precision may be required from time to time. For example, some PMSM drives have very high cogging torque levels, which cannot be easily ignored. In other cases, the engineer may desire accurate modeling of inductance variations..

Finite-Element Analysis (FEA) based real-time simulation resulting from the integration of JMAG-RT with RT-LAB addresses these issues. Because of JMAG-RT’s powerful code optimization and usage of lookup tables, real-time simulation of FEA-based PMSM drives can be conducted at time steps close to 20 microseconds on Intel CPUs. When executed on eDRIVEsim’s OP5130 FPGA board, time steps below one microsecond can be achieved, providing radically improved sampling time performance compared to a regular d-q model, along with much higher simulation accuracy.

At EPE 2007, the 12th European Conference on Power Electronics and Applications taking place this week in Aalborg, Denmark, Opal-RT management will present a paper further highlighting the advantages of the company’s FEA- based model support entitled “Real-Time Simulation of Finite-Element Analysis Permanent Magnet Synchronous Machine Drives on an FPGA Card”.

About Opal-RT Technologies Inc.

Opal-RT is the world’s leading supplier of very-high-performance PC-based simulators, for enabling real-time parallel processing through flexible, scalable and affordable technologies. Opal-RT’s customers include AISIN, BMW, Daimler Chrysler, DENSO, Ford, GM, Toyota, and other companies and universities leading the development of hybrid power train and industrial power electronic systems such as General Electric, Mitsubishi, and Hitachi. Visit www.opal-rt.com.