Egyptian Academy For Engineering and Advanced Technology

ECO Electrical Engineering Department

345

POWER ELECTRONICS

Pulse-Width Modulation (PWM) Techniques

ORGANIZATION

I. Voltage Source Inverter (VSI)

A. Six-Step VSI
B. Pulse-Width Modulated VSI

II. PWM Methods

A. Sine PWM
B. Hysteresis (Bang-bang)
C. Space Vector PWM

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I. Voltage Source Inverter (VSI)
A. Six-Step VSI (1)

➢ Six-Step three-phase Voltage Source Inverter

Fig. 1 Three-phase voltage source inverter.

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 I. Voltage Source Inverter (VSI)
A. Six-Step VSI (2)

➢ Gating signals, switching

sequence and line to negative
voltages.

Fig. 2 Waveforms of gating signals,

switching sequence, line to negative
voltages for six-step voltage source
inverter.
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 I. Voltage Source Inverter (VSI)
A. Six-Step VSI (3)

➢ Switching Sequence:
561 (V1) → 612 (V2) → 123 (V3) → 234 (V4)
→ 345 (V5) → 456 (V6) → 561 (V1)

where, 561 means that S5, S6 and

S1 are switched on

Fig. 3 Six inverter voltage vectors for

six-step voltage source inverter.

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 I. Voltage Source Inverter (VSI)
A. Six-Step VSI (4)

➢ Line to line voltages (Vab, Vbc, Vca) and line to

neutral voltages (Van, Vbn, Vcn)
⬧ Line to line voltages
⬧ Vab = VaN - VbN
⬧ Vbc = VbN - VcN
⬧ Vca = VcN - VaN
⬧ Phase voltages

⬧ Van = 2/3VaN - 1/3VbN - 1/3VcN

⬧ Vbn = -1/3VaN + 2/3VbN - 1/3VcN
⬧ Vcn = -1/3VaN - 1/3VbN + 2/3VcN
Fig. 4 Waveforms of line to neutral (phase) voltages and line to line voltages for six-step voltage source inverter.
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 I. Voltage Source Inverter (VSI)
A. Six-Step VSI (5)

➢ Amplitude of line to line voltages (Vab, Vbc, Vca)

⬧ Fundamental Frequency Component (Vab)1
3 4 Vdc 6
(Vab )1 (rms) = = Vdc  0.78Vdc
2 2 
⬧ Harmonic Frequency Components (Vab)h
: amplitudes of harmonics decrease inversely proportional to their harmonic order

0.78
(Vab )h (rms) = Vdc
h

where, h = 6n  1 (n = 1, 2, 3,.....)

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 I. Voltage Source Inverter (VSI)
A. Six-Step VSI (6)

➢ Characteristics of Six-step VSI

⬧ It is called “six-step inverter” because of the presence of six “steps” in

the line to neutral (phase) voltage waveform

⬧ Harmonics of order three and multiples of three are absent from

both the line to line and the line to neutral voltages and consequently
absent from the currents
⬧ Output amplitude in a three-phase inverter can be controlled by only
change of DC-link voltage (Vdc)

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I. Voltage Source Inverter (VSI)
B. Pulse-Width Modulated VSI (1)

➢ Objective of PWM
⬧ Control of inverter output voltage
⬧ Reduction of harmonics

➢ Disadvantages of PWM
⬧ Increase of switching losses due to high PWM frequency
⬧ Reduction of available voltage
⬧ EMI problems due to high-order harmonics

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I. Voltage Source Inverter (VSI)
B. Pulse-Width Modulated VSI (2)

➢ Pulse-Width Modulation (PWM)

Fig. 5 Pulse-width modulation.

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I. Voltage Source Inverter (VSI)
B. Pulse-Width Modulated VSI (3)

➢ Inverter output voltage

⬧ When vcontrol > vtri, VA0 = Vdc/2

⬧ When vcontrol < vtri, VA0 = -Vdc/2

➢ Control of inverter output voltage

⬧ PWM frequency is the same as the frequency of vtri

⬧ Amplitude is controlled by the peak value of vcontrol

⬧ Fundamental frequency is controlled by the frequency of vcontrol

➢ Modulation Index (m)

vcontrol peak of (VA0 )1

m = = ,
vtri Vdc / 2
where, (VA0 )1 : fundamental frequecny component of VA0
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II. PWM METHODS
A. Sine PWM (1)

➢ Three-phase inverter

Fig. 6 Three-phase Sine PWM inverter.

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II. PWM METHODS
A. Sine PWM (2)
➢ Three-phase sine PWM waveforms
vtri vcontrol_A vcontrol_B vcontrol_C
⬧ Frequency of vtri and vcontrol

 Frequency of vtri = fs

A0
 Frequency of vcontrol = f1

V
where, fs = PWM frequency

B0
V
f1 = Fundamental frequency

C0
V
⬧ Inverter output voltage

AB
V
 When vcontrol > vtri, VA0 = Vdc/2

BC
 When vcontrol < vtri, VA0 = -Vdc/2
V
where, VAB = VA0 – VB0 CA

VBC = VB0 – VC0

V

VCA = VC0 – VA0 t

Fig. 7 Waveforms of three-phase sine PWM inverter.

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II. PWM METHODS
A. Sine PWM (3)

➢ Amplitude modulation ratio (ma)

peak amplitude of vcontrol peak value of (VA0 )1

 ma = = ,
amplitude of vtri Vdc / 2

where, (VA0 )1 : fundamental frequecny component of VA0

➢ Frequency modulation ratio (mf)

fs
mf = , where, fs = PWM frequency and f1 = fundamental frequency
f1
⬧ mf should be an odd integer
 if mf is not an integer, there may exist sunhamonics at output voltage
 if mf is not odd, DC component may exist and even harmonics are present at output voltage

⬧ mf should be a multiple of 3 for three-phase PWM inverter

 An odd multiple of 3 and even harmonics are suppressed

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II. PWM METHODS
B. Hysteresis (Bang-bang) PWM (1)

➢ Three-phase inverter for hysteresis Current Control

Fig. 8 Three-phase inverter for hysteresis current control.

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II. PWM METHODS
B. Hysteresis (Bang-bang) PWM (2)

➢ Hysteresis Current Controller

Fig. 9 Hysteresis current controller at Phase “a”.

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II. PWM METHODS
B. Hysteresis (Bang-bang) PWM (3)

➢ Characteristics of hysteresis Current Control

⬧ Advantages

 Excellent dynamic response

 Low cost and easy implementation

⬧ Drawbacks

 Large current ripple in steady-state

 Variation of switching frequency

 No intercommunication between each hysterisis controller of three phases

and hence no strategy to generate zero-voltage vectors.
As a result, the switching frequency increases at lower modulation index and
the signal will leave the hysteresis band whenever the zero vector is turned on.

 The modulation process generates subharmonic components

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II. PWM METHODS
C. Space Vector PWM (1)

➢ Output voltages of three-phase inverter (1)

where, upper transistors: S1, S3, S5

lower transistors: S4, S6, S2
switching variable vector: a, b, c
Fig. 10 Three-phase power inverter.
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II. PWM METHODS
C. Space Vector PWM (2)

➢ Output voltages of three-phase inverter (2)

⬧ S1 through S6 are the six power transistors that shape the ouput voltage
⬧ When an upper switch is turned on (i.e., a, b or c is “1”), the corresponding lower
switch is turned off (i.e., a', b' or c' is “0”)
 Eight possible combinations of on and off patterns for the three upper transistors (S 1, S3, S5)

⬧ Line to line voltage vector [Vab Vbc Vca]t

Vab  1 − 1 0 a 
    
 Vbc  = Vdc  0 1 − 1 b, where switching variable vector [a b c]t
Vca  − 1 0 1 c 

⬧ Line to neutral (phase) voltage vector [Van Vbn Vcn]t

Van  2 − 1 − 1 a 
  1   
V
  3
bn = Vdc  − 1 2 − 1 b
Vcn  − 1 − 1 2 c 
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II. PWM METHODS
C. Space Vector PWM (3)

➢ Output voltages of three-phase inverter (3)

⬧ The eight inverter voltage vectors (V0 to V7)

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II. PWM METHODS
C. Space Vector PWM (4)

➢ Output voltages of three-phase inverter (4)

⬧ The eight combinations, phase voltages and output line to line voltages

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II. PWM METHODS
C. Space Vector PWM (5)

➢ Principle of Space Vector PWM

⬧ Treats the sinusoidal voltage as a constant amplitude vector rotating

at constant frequency

⬧ This PWM technique approximates the reference voltage Vref by a combination

of the eight switching patterns (V0 to V7)

⬧ CoordinateTransformation (abc reference frame to the stationary d-q frame)

: A three-phase voltage vector is transformed into a vector in the stationary d-q coordinate
frame which represents the spatial vector sum of the three-phase voltage

⬧ The vectors (V1 to V6) divide the plane into six sectors (each sector: 60 degrees)

⬧ Vref is generated by two adjacent non-zero vectors and two zero vectors

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II. PWM METHODS
C. Space Vector PWM (6)

➢ Basic switching vectors and Sectors

⬧ 6 active vectors (V1,V2, V3, V4, V5, V6)

 Axes of a hexagonal
 DC link voltage is supplied to the load
 Each sector (1 to 6): 60 degrees

⬧ 2 zero vectors (V0, V7)

 At origin
 No voltage is supplied to the load

Fig. 11 Basic switching vectors and sectors.

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II. PWM METHODS
C. Space Vector PWM (7)

➢ Comparison of Sine PWM and Space Vector PWM (1)

Fig. 12 Locus comparison of maximum linear control voltage

in Sine PWM and SV PWM.

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II. PWM METHODS
C. Space Vector PWM (8)

➢ Comparison of Sine PWM and Space Vector PWM (2)

⬧ Space Vector PWM generates less harmonic distortion

in the output voltage or currents in comparison with sine PWM

⬧ Space Vector PWM provides more efficient use of supply voltage

in comparison with sine PWM

 Sine PWM
: Locus of the reference vector is the inside of a circle with radius of 1/2 Vdc

 Space Vector PWM

: Locus of the reference vector is the inside of a circle with radius of 1/3 Vdc

 Voltage Utilization: Space Vector PWM = 2/3 times of Sine PWM

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II. PWM METHODS
C. Space Vector PWM (9)

➢ Realization of Space Vector PWM

⬧ Step 1. Determine Vd, Vq, Vref, and angle ()

⬧ Step 2. Determine time duration T1, T2, T0

⬧ Step 3. Determine the switching time of each transistor (S 1 to S6)

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 II. PWM METHODS
C. Space Vector PWM (10)
➢ Step 1. Determine Vd, Vq, Vref, and angle ()

⬧ Coordinate transformation
Vd = Van − Vbn  cos60 − Vcn  cos60
: abc to dq 1 1
= Van − Vbn − Vcn
2 2

Vq = 0 + Vbn  cos30 − Vcn  cos30

3 3
= Van + Vbn − Vcn
2 2

 1 1 
1 − −  Van 
Vd  2 2 2  
  =  Vbn 
Vq  3  3 3 
0 −  Vcn 
 2 2 

V ref = Vd 2 + Vq 2
Vq
α = tan−1 ( ) = ωs t = 2ππs t
Vd
(where, fs = fundamental frequency)

Fig. 13 Voltage Space Vector and its components in (d, q).

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II. PWM METHODS
C. Space Vector PWM (11)

➢ Step 2. Determine time duration T1, T2, T0 (1)

Fig. 14 Reference vector as a combination of adjacent vectors at sector 1.

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II. PWM METHODS
C. Space Vector PWM (12)

➢ Step 2. Determine time duration T1, T2, T0 (2)

⬧ Switching time duration at Sector 1
Tz T1 T1 + T2 Tz

 V =  V dt +  V dt +  V
0
ref
0
1
T1
2
T1 + T2
0

 Tz  V ref = (T1  V1 + T2  V 2 )
cos (α) 2 1  2 cos (π / 3)
 Tz  V ref   =
 1 T   V 
dc   + T2   V 
dc  
sin (α)  3 0  3 sin (π / 3) 
(where, 0  α  60)

sin ( / 3 −  )
 T1 = Tz  a 
sin ( / 3)
sin ( )
 T2 = Tz  a 
sin ( / 3)
 
 1 V ref 
 T0 = Tz − (T1 + T2 ),  where, Tz = and a = 
 fs 2
Vdc 

 3 
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II. PWM METHODS
C. Space Vector PWM (13)

➢ Step 2. Determine time duration T1, T2, T0 (3)

⬧ Switching time duration at any Sector

3  Tz  V ref    n −1 
 T1 =  sin −  +   
Vdc   3 3 
3  Tz  V ref  n 
=  sin  −  
Vdc  3 
3  Tz  V ref  n n 
=  sin  cos − cos  sin 
Vdc  3 3 

3  Tz  V ref   n −1 
 T2 =  sin  −   
Vdc   3 
3  Tz V ref  n −1 n −1 
=  − cos  sin  + sin  cos 
Vdc  3 3 

 where, n = 1 through6 (that is,Sector1to 6) 

 T0 = Tz − T1 − T2 ,  
 0  α  60 

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II. PWM METHODS
C. Space Vector PWM (14)

➢ Step 3. Determine the switching time of each transistor (S 1 to S6) (1)

(a) Sector 1. (b) Sector 2.

Fig. 15 Space Vector PWM switching patterns at each sector.

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II. PWM METHODS
C. Space Vector PWM (15)
➢ Step 3. Determine the switching time of each transistor (S 1 to S6) (2)

(c) Sector 3. (d) Sector 4.

Fig. 15 Space Vector PWM switching patterns at each sector.

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II. PWM METHODS
C. Space Vector PWM (16)
➢ Step 3. Determine the switching time of each transistor (S 1 to S6) (3)

(e) Sector 5. (f) Sector 6.

Fig. 15 Space Vector PWM switching patterns at each sector.

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II. PWM METHODS
C. Space Vector PWM (17)

➢ Step 3. Determine the switching time of each transistor (S 1 to S6) (4)

Table 1. Switching Time Table at Each Sector

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