Spatial Electro-Thermal Modeling and Simulation of Power Electronic Modules

In this work the spatial electro-thermal modeling of power electronic modules is discussed. It is shown how physical and mathematical modeling techniques can be combined to obtain a compact time efficient electro-thermal simulation framework for power electronic modules. The framework can be used to evaluate the transient temperature distribution of a power module in an electric vehicle over driving cycles. Based on the simulated temperature distribution the lifetime of the power module can be estimated using various aging laws. The simulation and lifetime estimation is demonstrated as an example for a Hybridpack2 inverter module. Finally, a design parameter study is carried out, which evaluates different module design options with respect to their impact on reliability.