Comparison between harmonic reduction procedures

for 5-level inverters

C. Buccella, M.G. Cimoroni
University of L’Aquila - DISIM &
DigiPower srl,
67100 L’Aquila, Italy
email: name.surname@univaq.it
C. Cecati
Harbin Institute of Technology,
School of El. Engr. & Automation,
15001 Harbin, P.R. China,
DigiPower srl, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy
email: c.cecati@ieee.org
E. Babaei
Faculty of Electrical
and Computer Engineering
University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran
email: e-babaei@tabrizu.ac.ir

Abstract—This paper presents two selective harmonic elimi-
nation (SHE) and a mixed SHE-selective harmonic mitigation
(SHM) procedures applied to 5-level inverter. The first one
is a graphical procedure to control harmonic spectrum of a
given voltage and/or current waveform. A fundamental frequency
technique using a reference sinusoidal signal (RSS) to modulate
the output voltage waveform v0 is applied, considering unequal
dc voltage sources. The switching angles are identified. It is shown
that they allow to delete all harmonics except those having order
10k ± 1, k = 1, 2, .... The second one is an analytical procedure
that eliminates the third and fifth harmonics and their multiple.
The third one is a mixed analytical-graphical procedure that
eliminates the third and its multiple and reduces the fifth and
seventh harmonics. The obtained results are compared and the
Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) in all cases is computed.
Index Terms—Multilevel Inverters, Harmonics Elimination,
Graphical Separation, Harmonics Mitigation, Total Harmonic
Distortion (THD).
I. I NTRODUCTION
The choice of modulation technique in inverter or rectifier
conversion system is very important to determine its perfor-
mance [1]. In particular the Selective Harmonic Elimination
(SHE) modulation technique presents many advantages such
as low switching frequency and consequently low switching
losses; high voltage gain and wide converter bandwidth; low
cost and smaller filter; possibility to eliminate low-order
harmonics and to optimize voltage/current total harmonic
distortion (THD) [2]-[6]. For high-voltage and high-power
applications, where switching losses are a major concern and
their reduction is of prime importance, the use of SHE mod-
ulation technique becomes paramount. SHE algorithm uses
Fourier theory considering output waveform properties such
as symmetry and number and amplitude of voltage levels that
play an important role in determining the form and complexity
of the solution [7]-[10]. Finding the analytical solution of the
SHE problem is very difficult for high level inverter, when the
order of equation system becomes large. Numerous solving
techniques have been presented in literature such as iterative
approaches [11], optimization techniques [12] and resultant
theory [13]. An algebraic Groebner bases method has been
proposed in [14]. This method converts the nonlinear high-
order SHE equations in an equivalent triangular form, and then
applies recursive algorithm to solve the triangular equations
one by one. For 5-level inverter, analytical methods have been
presented in [15], [16] considering equal dc voltage sources.
This paper presents:
1) a graphical approach to identify the two swiching angles
that eliminate all harmonics except those having order
10k ± 1 k = 1, 2, ...;
2) an analytical procedure that eliminates the third and fifth
harmonics and their multiple;
3) a mixed analytical-graphical procedure that eliminates
the third and its multiple and reduces the fifth and
seventh harmonics.
Results, obtained by simulations, are compared and the perfor-
mances of the presented approaches are discussed. Procedures
based on T HD minimuzation are also presented and com-
pared with the previous ones.
II. F IRST APPROACH
The proposed modulation considers a cascaded 5-level in-
verter consisting of two H-bridges fed by two different dc
voltage sources denoted as Vdc1 , Vdc2 , as shown in Fig. 1.
It is asssumed that:
1) the output voltage waveform v0 is modulated by a refer-
ence sinusoidal signal (RSS) at fundamental frequency;
2) in the output waveform v0 , the levels depend on the
switching angles α1 and α1 and are identified as
 
α1 + α2
Vdc1 (α1 , α2 ) = Vm sin (1)
2
  π   
α2 + 2 α1 + α2
Vdc2 (α1 , α2 ) = Vm sin − sin
2 2
(2)
where Vm is the peak value of the RSS that modulates the
output voltage v0 , as shown in Fig. 2.
Since v0 is an odd function, the even harmonics are absent
and the formulation is only for odd harmonics. Applying
the Fourier series expression to v0 , the amplitude of the nth
harmonic Vn is
 1

0.99

0.98
dc
0.97

0.96

α2 [rad]
dc 0.95
(π/10, 3pi/10)
0.94
out
0.93

0.92

0.91

0.9
dc 0.25 0.3
α1 [rad]
0.35

Figure 3. Switching angles identification by intersecton point.

1
Figure 1. 5-level inverter configuration.

0.5
vo

S(n)
RSS 0

−0.5
Vdc2

−1
1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31 33 35 37 39 41 43 45 47 49
Vdc1 n

ωt [rad]
0 α1 α2 π Figure 4. S (n) function.

Figure 2. 5-level inverter output voltage.

simulation. The computed T HD%, until 49th harmonic, is
17.19%.
4 α1 +α2 III. S ECOND APPROACH


Vn = nπ Vm sin 2 cos (nα1 ) +
(3) The proposed technique assumes both fundamental fre-
α +π
h  
i
4 α1 +α2
+ nπ Vm sin 2 2 2 − sin 2 cos (nα2 ) quency modulation and dc sources feeding each H-bridge
equal and variable (V ), written in p. u. as V ∗ = VVdc . The
The amplitude of the first harmonic must be set to the mod- voltage V ∗ depends on a positive coefficient C, such that
ulation index value [17]. The procedure finds, by a graphical V ∗ = Cm, where m = 8V πV1
is the modulation index and
approach, the switching angles α1 , α2 such that dc
V1 is the fundamental harmonic amplitude.
The amplitude of the nth harmonic Vn can be written as
Vn (α1 , α2 ) = 0 (4)
including all possible harmonics. V∗
Fig. 3 shows the curves (4) for n = 3, 5, ...49. By graphical Vn = [cos (nα1 ) + cos (nα2 )] n = 3, 5, . . . (6)
n
separation the intersection point is identified. Its components
are the switching angles
  12
π 3π
(α1 , α2 ) = , (5) 10
10 10
that zero many harmonics. In the following, it is graphically 8
|Vn/V1| %

demonstated that deleted harmonics are all except those having 6

order 10k ± 1, k = 1, 2, .... Substituting (5) in (3) a function
4
of n, S (n) is obtained with Vm = 1 and shown in Fig. 4. In
this figure the red dots represent the pairs (n, S (n)) with 2

S (n) = 0 and n the orders of deleted harmonics. Therefore 0

3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31 33 35 37 39 41 43 45 47 49
only the harmonics having order 10k±1, k = 1, 2, ... are not Harmonics horder
eliminated, as confirmed by the Fig. 5 that shows the harmonic
spectrum of output voltage of 5-level inverter, obtained by Figure 5. Harmonic spectrum evaluated by the first approach.
 0.15 1.2

0.1
1
0.05
S*(n)

V*
0.8
0

−0.05
0.6
−0.1
0.4
−0.15
1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31 33 35 37 39 41 43 45 47 49 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1
n m

Figure 6. S ∗ (n) function. Figure 8. V ∗ as a function of m.

10 Table I
9
S TANDARD LEVELS FOR ODD NON - TRIPLEN HARMONICS ACCORDING TO
8
[18], [19]
7
Harmonic order (n) Maximum Allowable Amplitude (Ln %)
|Vn/V1| %

6
5 6%
5
7 5%
4 11 3.5 %
3 13 3%
2 17 2%
1 19 1.5 %
0 23 1.5 %
3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31 33 35 37 39 41 43 45 47 49
Harmonics horder 25 1.5 %
>25 0.2+32.5/n
Figure 7. Harmonic spectrum evaluated by the second approach.

Introducing the p. u. quantities, the following system can

Imposing that Vn = 0 for n = 3, 5 and their multiple and be written:
applying Prosthaphaeresis formulas, follows  ∗
 V [cos (α1 ) + cos (α2 )] = 2m
∗ V ∗ [cos (3kα1 ) + cos (3kα2 )] = 0 (9)
2 Vn cos n2 (α1 + α2 ) cos n



2 (α1 − α2 ) =0  ∗
V [cos (nα1 ) + cos (nα2 )] ≤ 2nmLn
(7)
n = 3h, 5h h = 1, 3, ...
k = 1, 3, 5, ..., n = 5, 7, 11, ..., Ln are the wished
Therefore, to zero the third and fifth harmonics, it is possible levels (in percentage to the fundamental) for odd non-triple
to set harmonics.
α1 and α2 have to satisfy the following conditions
α1 + α2 = π3

(8)
α1 − α2 = π5 π
0 < α1 < α2 < (10)
2
The solution of (8), taking into account the conditon 0 <
α1 < α2 < π2 and sorting the absolute values of components After the application of Prosthaphaeresis formulas to the
in ascendent order, is α
f1 = α2 = 15π
,αf2 = α1 = 4π second equation of (9), it is obvious that a possible angles
15 .
Similarly to previous Session, substituting the computed choice to zero the third and multiple harmonics is
cos(n 15
π
)+cos(n kπ
15 ) π
switching angles in (6), S ∗ (n) = n is ob- α1 + α2 = (11)
tained by setting V ∗ = 1; Fig. 6 shows its behavior as a 3
function of n to highlight the n values in which the harmonic From (9), the following relation follows
amplitude is zero. Fig. 7 represents the harmonics amplitude,  
1  cos (nα1 ) + cos (nα2 ) 
in percentage respect to fundamental; the coefficient C = ≤ Ln (12)
V∗ 2 ∗ n  cos (α1 ) + cos (α2 ) 
m = cos(α1 )+cos(α2 ) ' 1.21. Fig. 8 shows the values of V
depending on m. The calculated T HD%, until 49th harmonic, n = 5, 7, 11, ...
is 16.44%. The acceptable levels are imposed by the electricity industry
standards, according to [18], [19]; they are shown in Table I.
IV. T HIRD APPROACH This approach applies a graphical procedure that:
This approach starts by the quantities V ∗ and m defined in • due to condition (11), it puts the amplitudes of the fifth
the previous Session and provides to zero the third and all its and seventh harmonics as a function of the only α1 :
odd multiple and to mitigate low order harmonics. V5 (α1 , α2 )=V5 (α1 ) and V7 (α1 , α2 ) = V7 (α1 );
 25 10
|V5 / V1| %
9
|V / V | %
20 7 1 8
|V7 / V1| %

7
15

|Vn/V1| %
6

5
|V5 / V1| %,

10
4
3
5
2

0 1

0 0.5 1 1.5 0
3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31 33 35 37 39 41 43 45 47 49
α1 [rad] Harmonics horder

V5 V7
Figure 9. Absolute percentage values of V1
and V1
, evaluated by the third Figure 11. Harmonic spectrum evaluated by the third approach.
approach.

0.1 80

0.08
60
0.06

THD%
0.04
40
0.02
S**(n)

0 20
−0.02
−0.04 0
1 1
0.8 0.8
−0.06 0.6 0.6
0.4 0.4
−0.08 0.2 0.2
0 0
−0.1 α2 [rad] α1 [rad]
1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31 33 35 37 39 41 43 45 47 49
n
Figure 12. T HD% (α1 , α2 ) obtained with Vdc1 (α1 , α2 ) evaluated
by (1) and Vdc2 (α1 , α2 ) evaluated by (2).
Figure 10. S ∗∗ (n) function.

• it draws the absolute percentage values of VV51 and VV71 in v

u  2
the plane, as shown in Fig. 9; u X Vn (α1 , α2 )
    T HD% (α1 , α2 ) = t · 100 (13)
it identifies the intervals of α1 where  VV51  and  VV71  are V1 (α1 , α2 )
   
•
n=3, 5, 7,...
below the line that represents the lower value between
the two grid code limits L5 and L7 ; By applying the first approach, the surface of T HD is
• in these intervals, it chooses the value of α1 as inter- shown in Fig. 12 where also level curves are highlighted and
section between the two curves and, by (11), it obtains represented in detail in Fig. 13.
α2 . In Fig. 13 the dot represents the solution point P1 (α1 =
π 3π
10 , α2 = 10 ) and the symbols ’x’ represent the T HD relative
In Fig. 9 two intervals are identified but, due to condition (10), minimum values points.
only the first is valid. The procedure allows to mitigates only Fig. 14 shows the surface of (13) obtained by the second
two harmonics, in fact, trying to include the eleventh harmonic and third approaches with level curves reported in Fig. 15.
in Fig. 9, it is possible to verify that the contemporary The relative minimum points of the function
reduction of the three harmonics is not possible. T HD% (α1 , α2 ) can be read directly on the Fig. 15
The obtained switching angles, in radians, are α1 ' enclosed in the level curves of the function T HD% (α1 , α2 ).
0.2541, α2 = π3 − α1 ' 0.7931. It is possible
 to denote
 the simmetry for which only a point
Similarly to the previous methods, S ∗∗ (n) function is is valid in 0, π3 × 0, π3 . The dot close to him represents
π
obtained and shown in Fig. 10. In this graph, it is possible the solution of (8), i.e. ( α f1 = 15 f2 = 4π
, α 15 ) and the
to denote that the third harmonic and its multiple are zero square symbol the solution obtained by the third approach
(red dots). The blu squares in this figure represent the points α1 ' 0.2541, α2 = π3 − α1 ' 0.7931.
(n, S ∗∗ (n)) with n = 5, 7: they show the reduction of the Table II shows the switching angles and the T HD % values
fifth and seventh harmonics according to the codes. Finally evaluated by the three approaches.
Fig. 11 shows the harmonic amplitudes until 49 order. The Table III shows the same variables, evaluated by three
calculated T HD%, until 49th harmonic, is 15.82%. procedure, summarized in second coloumn, based on the
minimization of the function T HD.
V. THD INVESTIGATION By applying the first procedure, two relative minimum
points are identified in Fig. 13:α1 =0.238, α2 =0.750 and
The T HD% can be written as α1 =0.193, α2 =0.678 that return T HD % = 15.28 and
 10
1 P1= (π /10, 3π /10) 9

8
0.8 7
X

|Vn/V1| %
6
α2 [rad] 0.6 5

4
0.4
3

2
0.2 X
1

0
0 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31 33 35 37 39 41 43 45 47 49
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 Harmonics horder
α1 [rad]

π
Figure 17. Harmonic spectrum evaluated by imposing α2 = 3
− α1 with
Figure 13. Level curves of the function T HD% (α1 , α2 ) shown in Fig. 12. V ∗ = Cm.

Table II

80 Approaches Conditions Angles [rad] T HD %

α1 α2
60
π 3π
1 Vdc1 (α1 , α2 ) (1) 10 10
17.19
THD%

40 Vdc2 (α1 , α2 ) (2)

20

α1 + α2 = π3 π
15
4π
15
16.44
0
1
0.5 1
2 α1 − α2 = π5
0
−0.5 −0.5
0
0.5
V ∗ = Cm
−1 −1
α2 [rad] α1 [rad]

α1 + α2 = π3 0.2541 0.7931 15.82

Figure 14. T HD% (α1 , α2 ) evaluated by applying V ∗ = Cm. 3 ∗
  V = Cm
 V5  V 
 V1  ≤ L5  V17  ≤ L7

T HD % = 15.67, respectively. The second procedure returns

0.5 P2= (π/15, 4π/15) P = (0.2541, 0.7931)
3
α1 = 0.2339 α2 = 0.7316, read
 in Fig.
 15 at the center of level
curves in the interval 0, π3 × 0, π3 . The obtained T HD% is

α [rad]

0
15.30. Fig. 16 shows the T HD% obtained imposing in (13)
2

the condition α2 = π3 − α1 (that means to delete the third

−0.5 and its multiple) with V ∗ = Cm. The switching angles return
minimum T HD % = 15.80 are: α1 = 0.2460, α2 = 0.801.
−1 Fig. 17 shows the harmonic spectrum obtained in this case.
−1 −0.5 0 0.5 1
α1 [rad] It is possible to notice that the third approach returns the
T HD closer to its minimum value.
Figure 15. Level curves of the function T HD% (α1 , α2 ) shown in Fig. 14.

30 VI. C ONCLUSIONS
In this paper three approaches have been presented. The
first one is a graphical separation procedure to identify the
THD (α1) %

25
switching angles that eliminate all harmonics except those
having order 10k±1 k = 1, 2, .... . A fundamental frequency
20
technique using a reference sinusoidal signal to modulate
the output voltage waveform v0 has been applied choosing
15.80
unequal dc voltage sources depending on switching angles.
0 0.246 0.4 0.6 0.801 1
α1 [rad] The second one is an analytical approach that eliminates the
third and fifth harmonics and their multiple. The third one is a
π
Figure 16. T HD% (α1 ) evaluated by imposing α2 = 3
− α1 with V ∗ = mixed analytical-graphical approach that eliminates the third
Cm.
and its multiple and reduces the fifth and seventh harmonics.
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