Tesla Motors Internship: Magnetics Characterization and Analysis

summer '19

technical skills: ANSYS Maxwell, Transformer Design Analysis

In the summer of 2019 I worked on the power electronics team at Tesla Motors working mainly on magnetics. My first main project involved generating a large core material characterization database similar to my work in Spring '18 with the RLE. This database characterized materials across size, shape, and temperature showing general trends across the magnetic materials. The scripts and processes I developed will both expedite core material selection with the existing data and enable fast growth of the database in the future.

My other main project used ANSYS Maxwell to compare different transformer designs at similar operating conditions for future DC/DCs. I focused mainly on ac:dc resistance ratio, current sharing inside the transformer, and termination loss. Through simulation, I was able to provide significant insight into the behavior of the transformer and aid in increasing the power density and efficiency of the system.