Inverter Dynamic Electro-Thermal Simulation with Experimental Verification

A full electro-thermal simulation of a three-phase space-vector-modulated (SVM) inverter is performed and validated with measurements. Electrical parameters are extracted over temperature for the insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) and diode electro-thermal models. A thermal network methodology that includes thermal coupling between devices is applied to a six-pack module package containing multiple IGBT and diode chips. The electro-thermal device models and six-pack module thermal model are used to simulate SVM inverter operation at several power levels. Good agreement between model and measurement is obtained for steady state operation of the three-phase inverter. In addition, transient heating of a single IGBT in the six-pack module is modeled and validated, yielding good agreement.