Services

Physical Software Solutions supports you in the following areas:

Thermal and Electrical Analyses of Complex Systems

  • Objectives and Scope
    • Thermal and electrical evaluation of cables, contact systems, fuses, battery systems, as well as other interconnect structures and loads.
    • Selectable level of detail for results — from rapid pre-assessment to high‑fidelity detailed analysis.
  • Methodology and Tools
    • FTMA — Fast Thermal Analysis for Electric Components (proprietary PSS development) using Qualified Model Reduction (QMR) for fast, robust and reliable thermal assessments and parametric studies.
    • Finite Element Method (FEM) for precise thermo‑electrical simulations based on CAD-models and including materials and boundary conditions.
    • Combined thermo‑electrical coupling via COMSOL Multiphysics® for realistic loss, temperature, and voltage‑drop analyses.

  • Results and Level of Detail
    • Temperature distributions, hot‑spot identification, current/voltage and loss balances.
    • Sensitivity and variant studies (e.g., conductor cross‑section, material, contacting, fuse concepts).
    • Clear recommendations for design, protection, and cooling.

  • Model Delivery and Standard Compliance
    • Modular, standards‑compliant provision as thermal networks.
    • Alignment with the emerging DIN/TS 70101 “ Thermal simulation models for vehicle electrical systems” and the ZVEI Technical Guideline “Thermal Simulation Models”.

Generation and processing of measurement and reference data, and validation of simulation results

  • Reference measurements for validation
    • Arrangement of measurements at accredited test laboratories upon customer request.
    • Definition of test programs, specification of test setups, on-site support, and data handover.
  • Processing and quality assurance of measurement data
    • Plausibility checks, signal synchronization, and normalization.
    • Unit and scale harmonization; documentation of measurement chains and uncertainties.

  • Deconvolution and filtering of noisy data
    • Separation of superimposed signals and noise reduction.
    • Reconstruction of relevant events, e.g., fuse tripping time.

  • Inverse thermal analysis for parameter identification
    • Identification of unknown system parameters from temperature measurements of electrical components.
    • Examples: thermal conductivities, heat capacities, convection coefficients, emissivities.

  • Validation of reduced simulation models
    • Calibration of input parameters for thermal simulations by best-fit to reference data (measurement/finite element (FE) simulation).
    • Goodness-of-fit metrics and estimation of model uncertainty.

Optimization of Electrical Systems and Onboard Power Networks

  • Objectives and Scope
    • Optimization of existing and to-be-developed electrical systems, e.g., vehicle, aircraft, and shipboard power networks.
    • Focus on weight, shape, material, and cost optimization while meeting technical limits.
  • Constraints and Evaluation Criteria
    • Consideration of defined maximum permissible temperatures and voltage drop limits.
    • Optional: EMC, safety, and packaging constraints as well as service and lifetime aspects.

  • Methodology
    • Thermal–electrical analysis including voltage drop and power loss calculations.
    • Parametric and multi-criteria optimization (weight, cost, efficiency, packaging).
    • Shape and material optimization, e.g., conductor cross-sections, insulation, and cooling concepts.

  • Results and Deliverables
    • Optimized system design with concrete recommendations on conductor sizes, materials, and protection concepts.
    • Variant comparisons, trade-off presentations, and transparent documentation of assumptions and results.

Reliability Analyses and FIT Rates of Electrical Components

  • Objectives and Scope
    • Determination of failure times and reliability of electrical components.
    • Calculation and evaluation of Failure‑In‑Time (FIT) rates for development, qualification, and operation.
  • Data Basis and Load Profiles
    • Analysis of aging behavior under defined thermal, electrical, and mechanical loads.
    • Incorporation of laboratory, field, and lifetime/mission‑profile data for realistic assessment.

  • Methodology
    • Statistical evaluation of field data for FIT‑rate determination.
    • Modeling and extrapolation to forecast failure times and reliability (e.g., trend and dispersion analysis, confidence intervals).

  • Results and Metrics
    • Robust forecasts of failure times, MTTF/MTBF, and reliability curves.
    • Transparent documentation of assumptions as well as sensitivity and variant studies.

  • Standards and Audits
    • FIT‑rate determination in accordance with the FIDES Handbook.
    • Conducting associated reliability audits and preparing audit‑proof documentation.
    • Consulting on the use of the ZVEI technical guideline “Failure Rates for Automotive On‑Board Network Components — Expected Values and Conditions.”

Custom Software Tools for Engineering Workflows

  • Objectives and Benefits
    • Implementation of the aforementioned services in customer‑specific software tools (developed by PSS).
    • Automation of frequently recurring tasks and workflows for consistent, reproducible results.
  • Integration and Extensibility
    • Seamless integration into existing toolchains, data sources, and processes.
    • Extension of existing model libraries through library elements in MATLAB Simulink/Simscape.

  • Consulting and Support
    • Consulting on the targeted use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in existing and new toolchains.
    • End‑to‑end support from concept and implementation through to handover.

We are happy to review topics in physical modeling and simulation that are not listed here. Please contact us at info@physsolutions.com.