FPGA-Based Power System Simulator for Real-Time Execution
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing computer simulation tools for power electronic systems are hindered by slow computational performance, leading to inefficiencies and high costs due to the need for custom development, which often fails to achieve necessary performance and accuracy.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for generating fast simulators using processing circuitry that parses data, searches for model code definitions, customizes them based on component parameters, constructs a system model, and generates solver code, which can be executed on FPGA or CPU cores for real-time simulation, leveraging the Latency-Based Linear Multi-step Compound (LB-LMC) method for efficient and accurate simulations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If existing simulation tools are used for power electronic systems, then simulation can be performed, but computational performance is slow
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional software-based simulation methods with hardware implementation on FPGA. The simulation model is converted into hardware logic circuits that execute parallel computations, substituting sequential software processing with concurrent hardware processing. This substitution enables the simulation to achieve real-time performance with 50 nanosecond time steps, directly resolving the speed limitation of conventional tools.
2Productivity
If custom development of simulators is performed, then performance needs can be addressed, but development cost and time increase substantially
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal simulator platform based on FPGA that can be configured for different power electronic applications through parameter settings rather than custom development. The same hardware infrastructure supports multiple simulation scenarios by loading different model parameters and configuration data, eliminating the need for separate custom development for each application while maintaining high performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables performance optimization through parameter changes in the simulation model and FPGA configuration rather than structural redesign. By adjusting parameters such as time step, model complexity, and hardware resources allocated, the simulator adapts to different performance requirements without requiring substantial re-development, thus reducing both cost and time.
3Speed
If faster simulation speeds are achieved, then real-time operation can be mimicked, but computational complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the simulation model into discrete, modular components that can be independently implemented as separate hardware modules on FPGA. Each component (e.g., power devices, transformers, loads) is modeled as an independent computational block with defined interfaces. This segmentation enables parallel execution of multiple components simultaneously, achieving high speed while keeping individual module complexity manageable.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for generating a simulator of a target system includes parsing data defining operational components and component parameters, searching for and obtaining model code definitions within a library database, customizing the model code definitions based on the component parameters, constructing a system model, and generating solver code based the customized model code definitions of the target system. The solver code may be indicative of input and output operation of the target system. The method may also include concatenating the system model with the solver code to form a solver function definition for the target system, and converting the solver function definition into an field programmable gate array (FPGA) core or central processing unit (CPU) core for execution on a simulation device for the target system.