Overview of Control Algorithm Verification Methods in Power Electronics Systems

Abstract

The paper presents the existing verification methods for control algorithms in power electronics systems, including the application of model checking techniques. In the industry, the most frequently used verification methods are simulations and experiments; however, they have to be performed manually and do not give a 100% confidence that the system will operate correctly in all situations. Here we show the recent advancements in verification and performance assessment of power electronics systems with the usage of formal methods. Symbolic model checking can be used to achieve a guarantee that the system satisfies user-defined requirements, while statistical model checking combines simulation and statistical methods to gain statistically valid results that predict the behavior with high confidence. Both methods can be applied automatically before physical realization of the power electronics systems, so that any errors, incorrect assumptions or unforeseen situations are detected as early as possible. An additional functionality of verification with the use of formal methods is to check the converter operation in terms of reliability in various system operating conditions. It is possible to verify the distribution and uniformity of occurrence in time of the number of transistor switching, transistor conduction times for various current levels, etc. The information obtained in this way can be used to optimize control algorithms in terms of reliability in power electronics. The article provides an overview of various verification methods with an emphasis on statistical model checking. The basic functionalities of the methods, their construction, and their properties are indicated.