Combining FEM-Based Torque Ripple and Switching Inverter Dynamics for Electric Drive Controller Validation on Speedgoat Test Systems

Lu-Dac
Application Engineering,
Speedgoat GmbH

Abstract

Torque ripple remains a critical challenge for precision control and NVH optimization in electric drive systems. While finite element (FEM) analysis using JMAG Designer accurately captures spatial harmonics and magnetic saturation effects, incorporating inverter switching dynamics often results in impractically long simulation times.
We present a real-time Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) methodology that combines JMAG-RT FEM motor data with a high-fidelity switching inverter model implemented in Simulink^® and Simscape™ Electrical™. The resulting model runs on a Speedgoat HIL test system featuring a programmable FPGA I/O module, enabling sub-microsecond time steps while preserving all torque ripple contributions.
The complete workflow is addressed, supporting both Controller-HIL and Power-HIL configurations, to verify that production-ready control software and hardware achieve minimal torque ripple levels. The proposed methodology enables faster and more repeatable validation under realistic conditions, significantly reducing development cycle time and improving quality assurance.