In power semiconductor systems such as inverters, managing losses is critical for optimizing performance. Inverters, which convert DC to AC for applications such as renewable energy systems, motor drives, and power supplies, are significantly affected by the thermal performance of components such as metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs). Efficient thermal management is critical for the longevity and performance of power electronic systems, especially in high-power applications. Designing effective thermal management strategies for inverters reduces losses, increases efficiency, and improves performance while considering space constraints and complex component interactions. In this study, power electronics simulations and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) thermal analysis were integrated to design the inverter. Using an integrated simulation, a thermal analysis was performed based on the inverter losses per module. A power electronics simulation was used to verify the validity of the loss values in the inverter design, and the CFD thermal analysis facilitated the visual analysis of the variables to be considered. The validity of the design was evaluated through experimental verification of the inverter system. A temperature saturation of 63.9 $\mathrm{℃}$ at 60$A_{rms}$ was recorded in the simulation, and a temperature saturation of 45 $\mathrm{℃}$ or less at 59$A_{rms}$ to 60$A_{rms}$ was obtained for each phase in the actual test. Considering the ambient temperature difference, it showed a difference of approximately 9.9 $\mathrm{℃}$. This conclusion allows us to reduce the high probability of risk derived by considering a small margin of safety for each variable in the design. This solution can be used to compactly design real inverters and solve complex thermal problems in power semiconductor-based systems. Finally, this study analyzes the similarities and differences between CFD simulations, power electronics simulations, and real-world experimental validation, highlighting the importance of thermal management in improving the efficiency of power electronic systems, particularly inverters.

This paper proposes the construction of a real-time simulation testing environment for the electric propulsion systems of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) using a real-time simulator and KDECAN communication equipment. The proposed real-time simulation environment enables the testing of flight controllers and control algorithms using real-time control communication commands that are identical to those used during actual flight. The KDECAN protocol is analyzed and utilized in the proposed real-time simulation environment for control communication. A reduced-size lift–cruise UAV with eight lift motors (for takeoff) and one cruise motor (for cruising) is used as the target hardware for real-time simulation. This is used to verify the construction of the real-time simulation environment. The final goal of this work is to construct a real-time simulation environment for the stable application of propeller-driven devices, and the findings confirm the independent operation of the lift and cruise motors in the constructed testing environment. Additionally, the real-time monitoring of the state of the electronic speed controllers is verified, suggesting that the testing environment can be utilized as a verification tool for the control algorithms and system design data of electric propulsion systems in actual devices in the future.