Objective
Since the capability to adapt development schemes to new requirements and regulations decides about the future competitiveness of European industries, the objective of project CAE WPS intends to reduce costs, time to market and required design expertise by about 20% in the short term to up to 40% 50% in the medium term and to increase market share by about 50% in the medium term by use of a knowledge based CAE tool. This novel tool, which is set up in this project, assists the design engineer during the entire development process of welding power supplies (WPS) and supports the generation of improved welding and cutting products in terms of performance and reliability. The structure of the knowledge based computer aided engineering tool CAE WPS will be open and flexible, so as to include new solutions and update existing ones. Its innovative methodology will in conjunction with the use of the novel European simulator SIMPLORER include and support the following functions: a. A computer aided selection (CAS) of the best matching power supply topologies using a knowledge base. b. A computer aided DC and AC analysis (CAA) of power circuitry developed with a computer algebra system generating input for improved model libraries, yielding a tremendous speed up in simulations. c. Design of power electronic and control circuitry including magnetic components, taking care of highfrequency effects, using a computer aided design program (CAD) supported by the CAA model libraries, libraries for the selection of components and materials and circuit and system simulation using commercial simulation software comprising PSpice and SIMPLORER. d. Thermal design using approximate thermal modelling of power semiconductors and magnetic components while the total assembly is simulated by commercial thermal simulation programs. e. The availability of novel macro models for power electronic circuits (b), models for magnetic components with respect to electrical (c) and thermal behaviour (d) upgrades the SIMPLORER and simulation results f. Computer aided optimisation (CAO) of magnetic components with respect to selected cost functions which might be efficiency, weight etc. by applying modern numerical optimisation algorithms. g. documentation of the development process. This project aims via enlarged adaptability to new applications, resulting from increasingly demanded smaller and lighter WPSs, at addressing a broader spectrum of customers. Technical measures for the generation of such target WPSs are: - Using higher switching frequencies with its volume shrinking effect on magnetic components and filters and achieving higher efficiency through application of resonant transition switching (RTS) techniques, - applying planar, low profile magnetic devices and other magnetic cores suitable for high power density and characterised by a good thermal behaviour, - applying modern tools for modelling and simulation of the thermal behaviour of total WPSs resulting in designs which fully exploit the selected devices, materials and geometry and assuring increased lifetime. Upgrading of welding quality (ISO 9000) as well as compliance with new end future regulations with respect to electric mains pollution and electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) is obtained by: - Using modern, powerful controllers, whose structures and parameters are selected and adapted in accordance to the requirements of the welding process, the thickness of the material to be welded, - feeding the WPS converter through a power factor correction switch mode rectifier (PFC SMR), which allows to draw maximum power with minimum pollution from l phase or 3 phase mains while ensuring compliance with low frequency emission standards (IEC 1000 3 2/4) and minimising input filters means, - including EMC aspects already at the pre design stage, both concerning emission (radiated and conducted) and immunity so as to comply with CISPR and IEC standards on EMC.
Fields of science
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques.
- natural sciencesmathematicspure mathematicstopology
- natural sciencesmathematicspure mathematicsalgebra
- natural sciencesearth and related environmental sciencesenvironmental sciencespollution
- natural sciencesphysical scienceselectromagnetism and electronicssemiconductivity
- natural sciencescomputer and information sciencessoftwaresoftware applicationssimulation software
Call for proposal
Data not availableFunding Scheme
CRS - Cooperative research contractsCoordinator
73066 Uhingen
Germany