Automated state-space simulation of small-scale and vehicular electric power systems

The design of increasingly complex electromechanical systems containing AC machine-power converter subsystems requires efficient methods of simulating the machine and power converter dynamics. While circuit-oriented simulations can be used for this application, state-space methods offer greater flexibility in modeling the nonelectrical components and in the choice of integration algorithms and software. State-space methods have the disadvantage, however, of requiring special attention when interconnecting individual component models to represent an overall system. In this paper, a state-space power converter model that can be readily connected with other component model and which is computationally efficient is obtained using a combination of circuit (graph) theory and reference frame transformations. An alternator-rectifier that is part of a pulse-power system is used to demonstrate the model and its implementation. In addition, an automated tool which handles the task of assembling a system simulation from a library of component models is described