Case Study: NCR gains deeper insight into power-system latch-up with Maplesoft Maple

NCR uncovers power-system latch-up in 1 day with Maplesoft

Researchers at NCR, a mainframe computer manufacturer, encountered an unexpected latch-up phenomenon during fault testing of a modular three-phase power system. The behavior occurred when adding resistance to the neutral line in a specific configuration, requiring an explanation to ensure it wouldn't happen under real-world conditions. Traditional numerical simulation tools like SPICE proved inadequate for modeling the system's dual characteristics of resistive impedance and constant power draw.

The team turned to Maplesoft's Maple software, utilizing its symbolic computation capabilities. An engineer created a SPICE-like tool called Syrup within Maple to model the circuit with symbolic parameters. This analytical approach revealed the precise conditions causing latch-up, confirming the phenomenon was not a threat under normal operation. The Maplesoft solution provided a deep understanding in about a day, saving several days of laboratory investigation and verifying system safety.

NCR