Inverter components reliability tests for hybrid electrical vehicles

This paper will present a test bench to verify the reliability of new prototypes of inverter for electric motor in the hybrid vehicle. These inverters must be tested in the same conditions as in real vehicle. A 22 kW induction motor has been used, coupled with a DC motor in order to impose the load torque. We have implemented various mission profiles ( European ARTEMIS cycles) of load torque on the system for various real driving conditions (urban, jam, road and highway) using the DS1005 card from dSPACE. In the case of hybrid and future fuel cell electrical vehicles, it will be necessary to integrate power electronics as closed as possible to the energy sources. That is to say a very high temperature is imposed to electronics components (higher than 120degC); So new components have been designed by OEM and will be tested in real conditions on this testbench. Artemis cycles which define vehicle behaviour on different speed-torque conditions (highway, road, traffic jam and urban) are translated to inverter current stresses. Theses cycles have been validated by main European vehicles manufacturers. This paper has been supported by a European community framework program. New IGBT devices with very efficiency heat exchange have been designed by French OEM manufacturer.