Power Electronics and Reliability Lab

Planned Power Electronics Reliability Lab (PERL)

Moreover, the planned Power Electronics Reliability Lab (PERL) aims to identify, characterize, perform accelerated lifetime testing (ALT) and reliability assessments of various power electronics (PE) converters & components, including power semiconductor switches (i.e., Si, SiC and GaN), diodes, heatsinks, gate drivers, controllers, and battery management systems to name a few. PERL facilities with state-of-the-art infrastructure to systematically perform accelerated lifetime testing (ALT) on power electronics converters/components according to real-life mission profiles and bring a systematic approach to use ALT in component and subsystem reliability characterization. PERL’s features and services are:

• Contemporaneous testing of up to 12 IGBT, Diode or MOSFET (6 half-bridge power modules);
• Temperature cycling tests on the PE device/heatsink setup in Tmin/Tmax=-40/+125^oC ;
• Thermal impedance studies of semiconductors (1200V/1700V, 300A);
• Accelerated lifetime testing up to 1200A load current;
• Powered tests on power electronics systems and their control systems, the power is limited by the available power supply (up to 250 kW).

[InfraREL-PE Infra project is a part of PERL at MOBI core lab, co-funded and supported by Flanders make, a strategic research center for the manufacturing industry]

PE Research Infrastructure: Power Electronics Innovation Lab (PEIL)

In our Power Electronics Innovation Lab (PEIL) we test stationary and automotive power electronics modules, subsystems and converters and electrical machines.

We have a fully equipped (power, control, data management, cooling) in-wheel-motor test rig connected to a load machine (motor-generator setup), with the capability and plans to extend it to a full vehicle synchronized multi-actuator in-wheel motors test bed.

Modern DC and AC Microgrid Lab

Our lab enables to build a DC and AC microgrid which can be controlled by a fully digitized smart energy management IoT system. Up to 12 sources and loads can be connected with each other via 18 DC busbars (0-600V) and 12 three-phase AC busbars (0-400V) to emulate both standard IEEE  AC and DC networks. It supports a system power flow up to 800kVA. Moreover, it allows to include a programmable battery emulator (160kW, 0-1000V), solar panels (0-250V),  V2X capable charging infrastructure (150kW) and multiple electrical machines (up to 350kW).

 

 

Technical specifications

Automotive specific focus

Lab infrastructure

• 3x 380V+N, 1200A

• Integrated Converter ( VSC and charger): 200 A, 600 V

• Multichannel DC/DC converter: 300 A, 500 V

• DC-DC converter: 0~690V, 300A

• DC-DC converter: 0~1200V, 300A

• DC-DC converter: 0~1200V, 346A

• AC-DC converter: 0~690V, 3x300A

• 0~+/- 250Vdc, 120A

• 0~+/- 500Vdc, 500A

• 0~500Vdc, 250A

• 3x 0~500V/600V + N, 180A

• 3x 0~400V +N, 225A

• Multiport converter based on SiC technology: 60kW (120kW max power)

High-precision lab equipment 

• 21 multichannel (4) scopemeters (up to 1000V)
• 10 dual channel power meters (600V, 10A)
• 9 Torque transducers (0-500 Nm/0-2000rpm and 0-2000Nm/0-4000rpm)
• 130 (High) voltage and current sensors (up to 1000A and 40kV)
• 24 CH Logic analyser
• Real Time Platforms
  • 2 DSPACE MicroLabBox Platform up to 2GHz for real-time models and controller.
  • 15 DSP platforms up to 150MHz

 

What do we offer?

• We offer our infrastructure for all kinds of standard power electronics, electrical machines and automotive tests:
• Power, power quality, performance, multi-channel data-acquisition
• Electrical machines performance testing
• Wide operating range power electronics and electrical machines testing up to 350kW/600V
• Modelling and control design of power electronics and machine control systems with a co-design approach (integrated sizing & control)
• Automotive charging and charging infrastructure testing in G2V and V2G modes
• Conformance testing of charging systems.
• Test and analysis communication protocol (PWM, PLC)
• Analysis of pilot signal and its entire parameters
• High accuracy measurement methods, developed especially for analysis of electrical signals described in IEC 61851-1
• Testing and validation of energy management systems (EMS) for vehicle drivetrains.
• Battery pack testing with standard drive cycles including the Battery in the loop (BiL)
• Vehicle emulator including Vehicle in the loop (ViL)
• Software in the loop (SiL) for drivetrains.

Are you interested in power electronics, electrical machines and automotive charging and want to do specific tests? Do you want to make use of our equipment? Or do you need consulting? Don’t hesitate to contact us!