Conceptual Modelling of an EV-Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor Digital Twin

Abstract

Digital twin (DT) technology has contributed to the development process of many applications, including electric vehicles (EVs). The DT concept is to create a digital representation of a real physical asset and support its performance by utilizing simulation and optimization tools fed with real-time data. DT technology can be used to solve general problems related to EV motors, such as estimation of the driving torque and the internal rotor temperature. This paper provides the concepts for implementing a DT of an EV permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) based on its analytical performance model. DT architecture comprises two main components: virtual model and real-time data exchange set. The motor physical model (test bench) was provided in detail. An analytical performance q-d mathematical model supported by the motor equivalent circuit was explained. The motor virtual model was built based on the proposed analytical model using MATLAB/Simulink. Robot operating system V.2 (ROS2) node, implemented on a microcontroller, was used for real-time data exchange between the physical and the virtual motor models. The main target is to monitor the physical motor performance and estimate its torque through its digital twin. The obtained results from the DT showed the effectiveness of the proposed method.