Powertrain Inverter Modeling Engineer

Ford - Nashville, TN

Full-time - Mid Level

Nashville, TN

Transportation Equipment Manufacturing

About the position

The Powertrain Inverter Modeling Engineer at Ford Motor Company is responsible for developing and optimizing traction inverter models to enhance electric powertrain architectures. This role involves creating parametric models that consider various factors such as cost, mass, and loss, while performing detailed simulations and collaborating with cross-functional teams to ensure efficient and cost-effective powertrain solutions for electric vehicles.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development of a parametric, multiphysics inverter simulation model for use within a larger drivetrain optimization tool
• Estimate inverter switching losses and voltage overshoot from circuit simulations using data from device datasheets and electrical characteristics derived from CAD models
• Develop parametric sizing models for inverter passive components to analyze tradeoffs between minimizing drivetrain cost, loss, and mass
• Collaborate with the inverter team to derive parametric inverter thermal state-space models from detailed FEA/CFD simulations and correlate those models to test results
• Define switching loss characterization test plans to gather data for experimentally informed loss models
• Perform and analyze large scale drive cycle simulations to identify active constraints in the inverter design and suggest changes that improve performance and reduce cost
• Analyze the interaction between inverter design, control methodologies, motor loss, and DC bus stability
• Maintain documentation and write unit tests to guarantee correct functionality of custom software tools

Requirements

• M.S. in electrical engineering with a focus in power electronics and/or semiconductor physics
• Strong understanding of inverter loss sources including semiconductors, capacitors, inductors, bus bars, gate drivers, and auxiliary circuits
• Experience sizing passive components to meet ripple current, ripple voltage, bus stability, and EMC requirements
• Experience translating semiconductor data sheets and experimental test results into simplified loss and thermal model
• Strong linear systems and numerical methods background
• Experience with software development in MATLAB or a similar technical computing language (Python, Julia, C++)

Nice-to-haves

• PhD degree in electrical engineering with a focus in power electronics and/or semiconductor physics
• Experience performing circuit simulations with detailed semiconductor models (LTSPICE, PSPICE, etc.)
• Familiarity with interplay between inverter design/control and motor losses, EMC/EMI, and DC bus stability
• Familiarity using impedance and network analyzers to characterize the frequency dependent characteristics of passive electrical components
• Familiarity with power electronics double-pulse and transient thermal test equipment and procedures
• Experience with object-oriented software development in MATLAB or a similar technical computing language (Python, Julia, C++)

Benefits

• Generous PTO
• Retirement plans
• Savings and stock investment plans
• Incentive compensation
• Professional and personal growth opportunities