Electromagnetic transients simulator for large-scale spacecraft power systems

A transient simulator program is being developed for the design of adequate surge protection and insulation levels within a spacecraft power system. The program divides the transmission lines into a series of L-section segments. By using Kirchoff´s voltage and current laws, a state variable model is derived to accurately simulate the travelling waves on each line. The state variables are chosen as the inductor current and the capacitor voltage of each L-section segment. The coefficient matrix that results is highly sparse. Finally, the state variable equations are solved using the trapezoidal method of numerical integration.<>