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Induction machines for traction applications are operated at working points of high ferromagnetic saturation. Depending on the working point, a broad spectrum of harmonic frequencies appears in the magnetic flux density of induction machines. Detailed loss analysis therefore requires local and temporal highly resolved nonlinear field computation. This loss analysis can be performed in the post processing of nonlinear transient finite element simulations of the magnetic circuit. However, it takes a large number of transient simulation time steps to build up the rotor flux of the machine.

In this paper, hybrid simulation approaches that couple static FEA, transient FEA and analytic formulations to significantly decrease the number of simulation time steps to calculate the magnetic field in steady state are discussed, analyzed and compared.

The proposed hybrid simulation approaches drastically decrease the simulation time by shortening the transient build-up of the rotor flux. Depending on the maximum error of the rotor flux linkage amplitude compared to the steady state value, a reduction of simulation time steps in the range of 55.5 to 98 per cent is found.

The presented hybrid simulation approaches allow efficient performing of the transient FE magnetic field simulations of induction machines operated as traction drives.

Traction applications, e.g. the IMs are mainly operated by field-oriented control (FOC). This control technique requires an accurate knowledge of the machine’s parameters, such as the main inductance, the leakage inductances and the stator and rotor resistance. The accuracy of the parameters influences the precision of the calculated rotor flux and the rotor flux angle and the decoupling of the machine’s equations into the direct and quadrature coordinate system (dq-components). Furthermore, the parameters are used to configure the controllers of the FOC system and therefore influence the dynamic behavior and stability of the control.

In this paper, three different methods to calculate the machine’s parameters, in an automated and rapid procedure with minimal measuring expenditure, are analyzed and compared. Moreover, a method to configure a control that reduces the overall Ohmic losses of the machine in every torque speed operation point is presented. The machine control is configured only with the identified machine parameter.

Simulations and test bench measurements show that the evolutionary strategy is able to identify the electrical parameters of the machine in less time and with low error. Moreover, the controller is able to control the torque of the machine with a deviation of less than 2 per cent.

The most significant contribution of the research is the potential to identify the machine parameter of an induction motor and to configure an accurate control with these parameters.