Thesis

Transport is at the core of modern society. Imagine using your expertise to shape sustainable transport and infrastructure solutions for the future. If you seek to make a difference on a global scale, working with next-gen technologies and the sharpest collaborative teams, then we could be a perfect match. 

Volvo Penta is a world-leading supplier of engines and complete power trains for marine and industrial applications. Volvo Penta has developed global leadership and is one of the industry’s strongest brands.

What you will do

At Volvo Penta you will be part of a fantastic team that develops and verifies our next generation of concepts and products. This master thesis- emerging motor drive topologies for electric propulsion is based at our e-mobility department where you will be working as part of the Motor Drive Systems (MDS) team. This fantastic team takes care of driveline components - motors and drive, develops HW and SW architecture, driving optimal system integration.

Background:

Permanent-magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) drives are increasingly attractive for electric and hybrid-electric marine propulsion because of their high efficiency, compact construction and excellent variable-speed performance. Reliability is particularly important in marine propulsion because deterioration or failure of the propulsion motor, inverter, sensors or cooling system may reduce propulsion capability and vessel availability. Modern motor drives contain numerous sensors and controller measurements, including phase currents, voltages, speed, estimates and temperatures. Through an Internet of Things (IoT) architecture, selected measurements can be transmitted from the local propulsion drive to a monitoring platform where the health of the propulsion system can be continuously assessed. Additionally, digital twin - a mathematical model representing the expected healthy behavior of the PMSM drive operates in parallel with the physical system. Deviations between the physical system and digital twin can indicate developing degradation. The combination of IoT-based data acquisition, digital-twin modelling, condition monitoring and degradation trending can therefore provide the foundation for predictive maintenance.

Who are you?

Thesis Scope/Objectives:

• The complete project will develop PMSM motor drive models using MATLAB, Simulink and Simscape Electrical. Marine propulsion will be used as the principal application case.
• Which electrical, mechanical and thermal measurements are most useful for IoT-based monitoring of PMSM-drive degradation?
• Can residuals between the physical PMSM drive and its digital twin provide earlier indication of degradation than conventional alarm thresholds?