Development of Real-Time Thermal Monitoring of GaN-based Power Inverter Modules Using Digital Twin

This study addresses the critical challenge of thermal management in Gallium Nitride (GaN)-based Power Inverter Modules (PIM) for electric vehicles (EV), presenting a novel digital twin development for real-time electro-thermal analysis. The innovation lies in integrating a 1D Modelica model with a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) model, enhanced by Reduced-Order Modeling (ROM), to simulate and monitor the GaN chips' thermal behavior under a liquid cooling loop. This comprehensive approach enables real-time thermal monitoring and provides detailed thermal visibility across the PIM. Utilizing test data from India and incorporating three types of virtual sensors, the study showcases the digital twin's application in optimizing multi-speed cooling control under varied traffic conditions, typical of congested tropical developing countries. The results offer a pathway to cost-effective, efficient thermal management solutions, contributing to the sustainability and performance of the electric vehicle ecosystem.