Efficiency map computation of arbitrary converter topologies in EV powertrains

Traction converters in automotive applications benefit from various emerging technologies like semiconductor-materials such as SiC or converter topologies like multilevel converters. As especially novel topologies often lack an analytic way to determine their power losses or efficiency, comparability is often hard to achieve until each converter is built up and measured. With the proposed procedure of time-domain simulation, efficiency and loss maps can be calculated, visualizing possible impacts on the cruising range of arbitrary converter topologies. The simulation takes the drive train into account by including the electric machine in form of a standardized parameter set and the battery as fixed voltage source. Even machines with nonlinear magnetics or cross-coupling do not raise a problem, as the parameter set is entirely based on lookup tables. Moreover, simulation results as well as an experimental validation are presented.