Multi-parameter model order reduction for thermal modelling of power electronics

In this paper, a multi-parameter model order reduction is applied to the thermal modelling and simulation of power electronics modules and air cooling system. Although widely employed, simulation tools based on Finite elements (FE) or finite difference methods (FDM) result in computationally expensive models that hamper the analysis in studies where one or more parameters are changed. Model order reduction techniques can be applied to reduce the computational complexity. However, standard reduction techniques cannot easily consider parameters variability and need to be reapplied for each parameter value. The paper proposes a multi-parameter order reduction technique which can significantly improve the thermal simulation efficiency without having a significant impact on the prediction accuracy. The method is applied to multi-chip SiC power module mounted on a forced air cooled finned heatsink with variable air flow.