Keywords: multibody dynamic simulation, modelling, combined simulation,.

This paper concentrates on some important aspects, which should consider when modelling electric drives and inverters by using commercial multibody dynamics simulation software. Main interest is concentrate on the rotating electric drives but indicated principles are easily generalized to the other kind of systems and machines also. The matters are examined mainly from the point of view of modelling techniques with dynamic simulation software (ADAMS).

When we simulate electromechanical system, we will need knowledge from several different fields such as electric drives, inverters, control systems, mechanics, flexible parts and so on. A successful modelling of the complex systems requires a lot of knowledge about the system (including interactions between all these subsystems) to be modelled and the chosen simulation tool as well.

Usually, electric drives and inverters are modelled and simulated by using general simulation programs such as Matlab/Simulink. Simulink enables to build models by using graphical block diagrams, which makes the modelling of large, and complicated electric drives models effortless. However, general simulation programs do not have facilities for describing flexible or stiff mechanical systems and mechanics is usually simplified to a load or spring-mass system [1,2]. In other words, the equations describing mechanical system must be generated and modelled by user.

Instead, the use of dynamic simulation programs makes easier to model mechanical systems with rigid or flexible members of mechanism. But unfortunately MBS programs do not have facilities for describing electric drives or inverters. This paper explains different possibilities such as co-simulation (with Simulink) [3], modelling electric drives within ADAMS or converting the Simulink model to a ADAMS-subroutine. Usability of different methods are discussed (comparison, software needed, effort etc.). Also, the modelling of inverters and control systems are described briefly.

There are several problems when modeling electric drives with MBS programs. Error tolerance, maximum allowed time steps and possible data transfer between different programs has a big influence on the duration of the simulation and to the accuracy.

Finally, a few different examples of modeling techniques when modeling electric drives and inverters are discussed. Also possible and common problems and improvements for them are presented.

1

Young-Seok Kim, Seoung-Beom Kim, Jin-Soo Kim, Chung-Hee Yoo, Hyun- Jung Kim, Two-Degree-of-Freedom Speed Control of Induction Motor having Two- Mass Resonant System, Proceedings of the 1996 IEEE Canadian Conference on Electrical and Computer Engineering, Canada, 1996. doi:10.1109/IECON.1996.566052

2

I. Akons, A. Alexandrovitz, Dynamic Investigation and Simulation of Brushless DC Motor, Proceedings of the 1996 IEEE Canadian Conference on Electrical and Computer Engineering, Canada, 1996. doi:10.1109/EEIS.1996.566897

3

Jouni Teppo, Asko Rouvinen, Aki Mikkola, Panu Kurronen, Pia Salminen, Olli Pyrhönen, "Coupled simulation of electrically driven machine system", Bath Workshop on Power Transmission & Motion Control, 2001.

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