A Modular Rapid Prototyping Test Bench Platform for Accelerated Electric Drive Research

Abstract:
In electric drive research, test bench measurements are essential to validate new research results. However, generating these results can be time-consuming. To accelerate the process from idea to measurement result, this work presents the design of a modular, reusable, and extensible platform for rapid prototyping in electric drives research. The design of the converter cabinet, including power electronics and signal processing, the motor test bench itself, and the required infrastructure are described. A back-to-back architecture is used for the platform. It is designed to evaluate electric machines in the power range of 30kW, with DC link voltages up to 800 V, phase currents up to 70 A (RMS), rotational speeds up to 30 000 min(exp−1), and torques up to 100Nm. First measurement results for different synchronous machines are presented that demonstrate the platform’s ability to accelerate research and benefit researchers’ creativity.