Altair PSIM

Altair PSIM Overview

Altair PSIM is a program for designing and simulating power electronics and motor control devices. Simulation of power electronics in PSIM provides high simulation speed, while providing high-quality results at the system level.

Altair PSIM Features

Verification and modeling in PSIM

The process of design verification in the early stages of design is critical to ensure a reliable product design. PSIM provides a wide range of design verification tools:

Monte Carlo Analysis. This is a statistical analysis that calculates the response of a circuit when component parameters are varied randomly according to a given statistical distribution (e.g., normal (Gaussian) distribution, uniform distribution, etc.). Monte Carlo Analysis can be used to evaluate the impact of key component changes on the power converter output. The component change may be due to manufacturing tolerance or component wear over time. Monte Carlo Analysis is recommended for understanding what tolerances key components should have.

Sensitivity Analysis determines how the output characteristics of a circuit change when one or more of its components are changed. This analysis is often used to determine the most sensitive key components in a circuit.

Fault Analysis analyzes the behavior of a circuit under failure conditions, such as a short circuit or open circuit in a component. Fault analysis helps evaluate whether a design can pass various failure tests and whether a particular failure can lead to catastrophic consequences.

The results of design verification can greatly help an engineer evaluate and improve the performance and reliability of a design.

Generate embedded code

SimCoder automatically generates high-quality C code from the PSIM control circuit. Automatic code generation eliminates human error and allows for faster design speed, lower development costs, and faster time to market.

Thermal modeling

For switching devices (diodes, MOSFETs, IGBTs), thermal modeling allows you to calculate losses either under a fixed temperature effect or by dissipating heat through a heat sink thermal equivalent circuit. Thermal analysis will help ensure that devices remain within a safe operating area. Starting with PSIM 11, the user has the ability to model the characteristics of wide bandgap semiconductors – SiC and GaN – using a MOSFET (Eon).

PSIM core and winding losses for inductors are based on core dimensions, winding physical structure, etc. to account for complex relationships such as proximity effects. Loss calculations are temperature dependent, and the models use junction or core temperature to reflect this dependence.

PSIM functionality

Analyze and design complex electric drive systems
Significantly speed up your electric drive design process – quickly and easily. PSIM provides powerful tools for designing, simulating and analyzing electric drives.

– Motor performance evaluation.
– Current/speed feedback loop controller design:

• Sensored or sensorless control, FOC/DTC.
  – Sizing key power converter components:
• Inverter loss calculation and device comparison.
• DC bus size and coupling capacitor size.
• EMI filter evaluation.

Power supplies

– Evaluation of multiple converter topologies and performance characteristics:

• Worst-case and Monte Carlo analysis.
• Frequency analysis.
• Sensitivity and failure analysis.

– Switching speed and its impact on:

• Magnet and capacitor sizes.
• Component strength and losses.
• Electromagnetic interference.

– Development and operation of an electromagnetic interference (EMI) filter.

– Development and implementation of control system:

• Analog or digital
• Bandwidth
• Implementation and verification of digital control
• Rapid control prototyping (RCP)

Batteries, Photovoltaics, Wind turbines

Energy storage and generation are becoming increasingly important as the grid becomes more distributed and renewables make up a larger share of electricity generation. PSIM solution users use battery and photovoltaic (PV) models for microgrids, satellite power flow simulations, electric vehicle (EV) drivetrains, and more. All vehicle models have 4 quadrants, allowing you to “drive” or “generate.” Use this feature to model an EV powertrain with drive cycles and regenerative braking, or combine it with our wind turbine model to simulate a wind energy system.

The main features of the model include:

• Different battery models: look-up table based, equation based, with changing charge/discharge resistance, etc.
• Different photovoltaic models: based on technical data, normalized based on standards.
• Wind turbine
• Supercapacitor

File Information

Year/Release Date : 2024
Version : 2024.1
Developer : Altair
Developer’s website : www.altair.com
Bit depth : 64bit
Interface language : English
Tablet : present

System Requirements

Win 10/11 64bit