Power Losses Estimation for Visualization of Heat Distribution

Abstract

For designing power electronics, especially high-power-density systems, power loss estimation is a very important step in the design process. The estimation of losses without using a mathematical method, but instead using a simulation approach can significantly lower design time. In this paper, the estimation of the power losses by the simulation method using MATLAB Simulink is presented. The main goal of this paper is the estimation of the worst-case scenario of the inverter losses powering the three-phase asynchronous motor. Simulation is using real parameters of the used semiconductors to accurately estimate power losses. The simulation model consists of two main parts. The first one calculates power losses in semiconductors based on the provided parameters and his temperature. The second part calculates the temperature of the system based on the cooling model and losses calculated by the first system. Results in the form of the losses are used in the Fusion 360 software to simulate the temperature distribution of the heatsink. This simulation is supported by the calculation of the convection coefficient of the heatsink in different airflows. Additionally, two types of heat transfer were simulated, convection only and convection plus radiation type of heat dissipation.