Electro-Mechanical Switching Cell Modelling Framework for Converter Design Optimisation

The design of power electronic systems is often performed based on optimisation procedures. Among the various converter system components, the modelling and optimisation of the switching cell is mandatory to achieve a high power density and efficiency. So far, the optimisation of switching cells relies on using analytical and numerical models in iterative procedures. This iterative evaluation increases the computational effort substantially. To overcome this limitation, this paper proposes a switching cell modelling framework following a two-step approach based on look-up tables. Compared to the conventional approach, the method presented in this paper allows determining the Pareto-optimal designs of the switching cell with relatively low computational effort, while maintaining high degrees of implementation flexibility. To demonstrate the benefits of the suggested modelling framework, a half-bridge switching cell is modelled and optimised in terms of efficiency and power density.