A Current Control System Based in ap0 Variables for a Four-Leg PWM Voltage
Converter
P. Verdelho
Instituto Superior TCcnico
SecqHo de Miiquinas ElCctricas e Electr6nica de Potencia
AV.Rovisco Pais,
1096 Lisboa, Portugal
pcverdelho @alfa.ist.utl.pt
Abstract - A four-leg PWM voltage converter is presented in
this paper for three-phase four-wire active power filters or
neutral current compensator applications. The four-leg PWM
voltage converter ac currents should be controlled. This is
accomplished with a generalised space vector based current
controller in aP0 coordinate system. This controller enables
to impose equal hysteresis errors in the converter four wire
currents. All the current harmonic systems of positive,
negative and zero sequence can be injected by the converter
and thus compensated in the mains. This converter has
superior performance compared with the four-wire three-
phase PWM voltage converter with split dc-link capacitors.
I. INTRODUCTION
Voltage source inverters VSI are being developed for
high performance applications such as ac motor drives and
variable speed generators, ac power supplies, active power
filters and so on. To control this system, many pulse width
modulation PWM control strategies have been proposed
recently. A survey of these PWM techniques is presented
in [l]. More recent and specialised surveys are presented
in [2] and [3]. Reference [2] gives an overview of the
voltage controlled PWM systems. A review of current
regulated PWM control methods can be found in [3].
These control strategies yield various advantages and
disadvantages related to control circuit complexity,
switching frequency and transient responses. The current
control strategy plays the most important role in current
controlled PWM converters in which quick current
response and low harmonic current content are the design
criteria. In reference [4] a space vector current controller
for PWM-VSI inverters is presented. This controller uses
ap or dq variables.
The techniques referred to above have been developed
for single-phase and three-phase circuits without neutral
conductor. The applications where the three-phase voltage
PWM inverter is normally applied don’t require the neutral
wire connection. However, there are some applications,
like active power filters, unbalanced current compensators,
uninterruptible power supplies and stand alone ac power
supplies where three-phase converters with neutral
conductor must be used. This can be achieved using split
dc link capacitors. The mains neutral conductor is
connected to the middle point of the two dc capacitors. In
four wire active power filters and unbalanced currents
compensators [5, 6, 71, the converter currents must be
controlled. The dc voltage must also be regulated in a
0-7803-4503-7/98/$10.00 1998 IEEE 1847
G. D. Marques
Instituto Superior Ttcnico
SecqBo de MBquinas ElCctricas e Electrdnica de PotCncia
AV.Rovisco Pais,
1096 Lisboa, Portugal
gmarques @ alfa.ist.utl.pt
constant value, due to existing power losses in the
converter and ac inductance. This is achieved by acting in
the active power flow through the converter and thus in the
fundamental component of the converter input ac currents.
In steady state this fundamental component is negligible.
In practice, due to existing differences between the
semiconductors devices and existing errors in the current
hysteresis comparators, the two dc capacitor voltages
become different leading to system malfunctioning. Due to
that another controller must be applied to achieve the
balance between the two capacitor dc voltages [7].
Another example where the neutral conductor may be
required is for three-phase four-wire uninterruptible power
supplies and stand alone ac power supplies [8]. The load
requires a ground connection. This can be achieved in the
same way as mentioned previously, and so the load neutral
conductor is connected to the middle point of the two dc
link capacitors. In this case under unbalanced loads, higher
capacitor values must be used to obtain a good dc link
voltage regulation. Also the dc voltage controller of the
system input converter increases in complexity.
The referred to drawbacks of the four-wire three-phase
PWM voltage converter with split dc-link capacitors can
be solved adding a forth leg to the conventional three-
phase converter and connecting the mains or load neutral
conductor, according to the application, to the middle point
of this leg.
As the application in mind in this paper, is for active
power filters or unbalanced currents compensators, the
four-leg three-phase PWM voltage converter is connected
to the ac mains as presented schematically in Fig. 1. The
mains line voltages are connected to each converter leg by
three inductors. The maim neutral is connected to the forth
leg of the converter, Fig. 1. Each converter switch is
1
1-
..
& I I I ’ I
4-04
I I I
4I J
GI? G 2 t G 3 t G4t
Fig. 1. Four-leg PWM voltage converter connected to the ac
mains.
implemented with a semiconductor power switch and a
diode connected in opposite polarity.
The four-leg PWM voltage converter input ac currents
must be controlled. This is realised in this paper with a
current control method based on the generalisation of the
space vector technique presented in [4]. In [9] a similar
approach is applied to the four-wire three-phase PWM
voltage converter with split dc-link capacitors to deal with
the mains neutral current.
7 Non-linear
controller
..............
Fig. 2. Active power filter general control circuit based on the four-leg
PWM voltage converter.
Several applications have been realised where the active
power filters are applied to a three-wire network, without
accessible neutral as presented in [lo, 11, 12, 131. In this
case the zero sequence current component is always zero,
and a space vector based hysteresis current controller
placed in ap coordinate system can be applied [4]. If the
network has accessible neutral (four-wire network) the
zero sequence current component can exist, and so its
compensation it is desirable. This can be accomplished
with a four-leg PWM voltage converter connected to the ac
mains working as a shunt active power filter or unbalanced
current compensator as mentioned (Fig. 2).
The paper is organised as follows: Section I1 presents a
dynamic model for the four-leg three-phase PWM voltage
converter connected to the ac mains. The ac voltages
imposed by the converter are transformed into ($0
variables and represented in the ap0 space. Sixteen vectors
are obtained. Section I11 describes the proposed control
system and section IV gives some results. The conclusions
are presented in section V.
11. SYSTEM MODELLING
The states of the switches in the inverter legs 1, 2, 3 and
4 (Fig. 1) are defined by the logic functions G1, G2, G3
and G4. These functions are nonlinear functions that can
assume the values 0 or 1. For Gi=l (i=1,2,3, 4) the upper
switch of leg i is conducting and the lower switch is
blocked, for Gi=O it is the lower switch that is conducting
0-7803-4503-7/98/$10.00 1998 IEEE
and the upper is blocked.
The system state model is written in system state
variables. The phase voltages e,, e2 and e, are defined
between the middle points of the corresponding converter
leg and the neutral point, Fig. 1. So, the PWM voltage
converter is seen as a system with three transfer functions
relating the converter phase voltages e,, e2 and e, with the
capacitar dc voltage edL.The corresponding equations are:
el = (G1 - G4)f?dc
e2 = (G2 - G4)edc
e3 = (G3 - G4)edc (1)
The introduction of the three inductor equations of the
ac side and the capacitor equation of the DC side gives the
state model, (3).
0 0 --G I - G4
L
.-
r -
--G2 G4
L L
0 _Y_ --G3 - G4
L L
G2 - G4 G3 - G4
0
C C
(3)
The system variables (currents or voltages) are
converted to the ap0 coordinate system by the
transformation defined in (4). In this coordinate system the
phase current information is much more interesting. The
zero sequence component is decoupled from the a and p
components.
(4)
The phase voltages e,, e2 and e, are obtained using (1).
The converter ac voltages in the apo coordinate system
can be obtained applying the transformation (4) to the
converter phase ac voltages (1). Table 1 presents the
values obtained for e,, e2 and e, and their corresponding
ap0 variables for all possible combinations of G1, G2, G3
and G4.
The converter ac voltages can be represented as a vector
in the ap0 coordinate system, whose position depends on
the functions G1, G2, G3 and G4 as shown in the table 1
and in Fig. 3. This figure presents the 16 possible states of
the converter in 3 dimensions on the ap0 space. The
various plane projections of the converter ac voltage
vectors are shown in Fig. 4. Figure 4a is the well-known
space vector representation of ac converter voltages in the
ap reference frame.
1848
 Table 1 . Converter ac voltages for all values of (Gl, G2, G3, G4)

.........................................,
I
I
,
I
,
I I ,
,.......,. ...
, ,

1500 ... ....... ...... ...............I.......:............

. . . . . . .
.......:......:
....: ....... :.......:... ....:.......:...~

1000

Fig. 3. Converter ac voltages represented as vectors in the ap0 reference

frame for all values of (GI, G2, G3 and (34).
Fig. 4. Plane projections of the converter ac voltages vectors in the clPO
reference frame for all values of (Gl, G2, G3 and G4).

:
800 .......... . . ~ ( ~ 3 J..!...... ........2,!0:.-~ .......... j

111. PROPOSED CONTROL SYSTEM

The converter ac currents i,, i, and i, must be controlled.

This can be easily accomplished in the ab0 coordinate
system. The appropriate ac voltage vector, Fig. 3, must be
chosen according to the current error in the ap0 coordinate
.800 .......................................................
:S,l3 j 6.14;
system. For the phase current directions presented in Fig.
-1000
-1000 -500 0
L
500
I
1000
5 , if the current CI component error (i,*-i,), is negative
e, [VI (positive) then an ac voltage vector with a negative
(a) egka (positive) e, component must be chosen. The same must
be applied to the other current components errors (ip*-ip)
1500
and (io'-io)with respect to the corresponding voltage vector
components ep and e, respectively. In order to have a
loooL.. : , I 1

....... :...-..:
.......:....... .......:.......:....
I , #
limited switching frequency the hysteresis current
IXI ! !
comparators must be used. Its outputs (da, dp, do) address
the switching table that gives the appropriate converter
c6ntrol functions G1, G2, G3 and G4, and thus the
desirable voltage vector.
.
.
I
.
,
I
.
.
, I
.
,
I
,
.
-1500 ......................................................
,
,
. .
I
. There are available sixteen voltage vectors, Fig.3.
However with two level hysteresis comparators only eight
,
' , .
,
.
, .
I
,
,
,
.
,
,
-1500 -1000 -500 0 500 1000 1500 current error combinations are available. Thus the current
eo [VI controller addresses only eight of the sixteen voltage
(b) 4%

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vectors. The current controller switching table is presented IV. RESULTS
in table 2. The voltage vectors used are shown in Fig. 6.
The four-leg PWM voltage converter connected to a
four-wire network can be used as a shunt active power
filter where all the mains current harmonics including
those that constitute zero sequence systems can be
compensated. The converter ac currents are controlled with
the proposed control circuit presented in Fig.5. The current
controller switching table 2 is considered. In order to show
the good dynamic performance of the current controller,
some simulation results are presented in the next figures.
Fig. 7 presents the current controllers performance for
reference currents that constitute only a first harmonic
positive sequence system. Thus the reference currents zero
sequence component is always null. The converter currents
Vi I I in system coordinates or in ap0 cordinates are shown. An
AC expansion result for the initial transient is also presented.
Mains
Fig. 5: Vector based hysteresis current controller in the ~ r P 0coordinate
system for the PWM voltage converter connected to a four wire network.

Table 2 Current controller switching table in crP0 coordinate system.

1 6 4 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 0 1 1 l O l l 1 0 1
0 0005 001 0015 002 0025 0.03 0035 OM
Time 14

0 0005 001 0015 002 0025 003 0035 OM

Time [SI
......I. ......,...... 1 ......L ......L ...................
!
z.l: ......i.......i......j ................... j...... i......
,Q

0
. .

0005 001 0015 002 0025

, e .

003 0035 OM
Time [SI

1000

Fig. 6 . Converter ac voltages vectors applied by the current controller

switching table 2.

With this current controller it is possible to get equal

current errors in the converter three-phase ac currents and
also in the neutral current. The three hysteresis
comparators must have bands selected by ( 5 ) where e, is XlO"
02 04
m e bl
06 08
x IO"
$

the desired common four wire current errors.

Fig. 7. Performance of the four-leg PWM voltage converter current
. J2 J2 . 1
&la =-&i
J3 , &io =-&i
3 ' no =xi (5)
controller for sinusoidal reference currents of positive sequence
(Z,-=IOA).

0-7803-4503-7/98/$10.00 1998 IEEE 1850

 0005 001 0015 0 0 2 0025 003 0035 004 0 0005 0 0 1 0015 0 0 2 0025 003 0035 OM
Time [SI lime 1s:

3 '8 3 '8
= -10 = -10

- 10 - 10
2.4 2.,:

0 0005 001 0015 0 0 2 0025 003 0035 OM 0 0005 0 0 1 0015 002 0025 003 0035 OM
lime [SI Time Is1
...... ......4
..... ..... ...... ..... .....;...... .....
0 0005 001 0015 0 0 2 0025 003 0035 OW 0 0005 0 0 1 0015 002 0025 003 0035 004
Tlme Is] T" [SI

......................
.....................
., .. . .
, .
. . _:. .i--.---
, .
:...................................
, ,
15 15 15

10 10 10

-
5
5

0 $ 0
5
?..
5
5

0
r,
.- 5 5
._
D

-10 -10 -10

0
-15 15
- -10 -15
II [AI
'2iA1

Fig. 8. Performance of the four-leg PWM voltage converter current

controller for reference currents composed of a first harmonic positive
sequence system (I,,,jw,=ZOA)and a fifth harmonic negative sequence
system (IThMx=IA).

. . . . .
.
,I ..
. ,
., ,
.
, ,
,
, ,
.
, ,
.
, .I . . !. ........ i.. . . . . .i. .IO
.
..
......... :
.
.
:.......... :...
.
.
.
.
: .........
10 .. ..: ,..............
I . .
1 ......... ~ . ................
L ~
. .
-10
.. ... ... ... .. ... ...
. , . .
.
, I .

.
,
. .
. I
. ,
.
-15

Fig. 10: Performance of the four-leg PWM voltage converter current

controller for reference currents composed of a first harmonic positive
sequence system (Z,,,Mox=IOA), a third harmonic zero sequence system
(1,,,,"".=3.5A)and a fifth harmonic negative sequence system (If,wnax=IA).
0 0005 001 0015 002 0025 003 0035 O M
lime 151
Fig. 8 presents the proposed current controllers'
'8 performance for reference currents composed of a first
= -10
harmonic positive sequence system and a fifth harmonic
p 10
G.18
negative sequence system. For this case the zero sequence
component reference current is also always null.
-g.,:
10
In Fig. 9 only a third harmonic zero sequence system is
considered. Thus the phase currents add up in the neutral
3 $0
5 -18
conductor.
0 0005 001 0 0 1 5 . 0 0 2
Time[s]
0025 003 0035 OW In Fig. 10 a first harmonic positive sequence system, a
fifth harmonic negative sequence system and also a third
15 harmonic zero sequence system are considered.
10 The converter current errors in the ap0 coordinate
-
"0
5 system are also presented in Fig. 11.
It should be noted that the current controller presented is
-
D

dedicated to the PWM voltage converter connected to the

10
AC mains with accessible neutral conductor, when
IS
15
working as an active power filter, unbalanced current
Fig. 9: Performance of the four-leg PWM voltage converter current compensator or neutral current compensator (Fig. 2). This
controller for reference currents composed of a third harmonic zero simple current controller presents extremely good current
sequence system ([,,,_,=3.5A). dynamics and lack of tracking error, features that are

0-7803-4503-7/98/$10.00 1998 IEEE 1851

 VII. REFERENCES

[13 Holtz J., “Pulsewidth Modulation - A Survey”,

IEEE Trans. on Industrial Electronics, vol. 39, no. 5,
Dec. 1992.
[2] Trzynadlowski A., “An Overview of Modern
PWM Techniques for Three-phase, Voltage-Controlled,
Voltage-Source Inverters”, International Symposium in
x -“a Industrial Electronics, Warsaw, 1996, pp.25-39.
ei, [A] -1 -1 eio [A
[3] Kazmierkowski M. P.; Dzieniakowski M. A.,
(a) ab0 current errors
“Review of Current Regulation Techniques for Three-
Phase PWM Inverters”, Industrial Electronics Conference,
Bologna, 1994, pp.567-575.
[4] Kazmierkowski M. P., Sulkowski W., “Novel
Space Vector Based Current Controllers for PWM-
Inverters”, Power Electronics and Specialists Conference,
pp.657-664, 1989.

e82 (AI elN(A1

[5] M. Aredes, K. Heumann, J. Hafner, “A Three-phase
Four-Wire Shunt Active Filter Employing a
., .
..
Conventional Three-Leg Converter”, European
......
I

4 ................. ............. ..... Power Electronics Journal, Vol. 6, no 3-4, pp 54-59,

December, 1996.
[6] Verdelho P., Marques G., “A Neutral Current
......:..........................................
, , . . . . . . . Electronic Compensator”, Industrial Electronics
.. . .., ..,. ... . ...
I .
, .

.
I .
, . 1j ...... .....2 :......:......:.. :
......:...~
... ...
.
Ij ~

. , ,I. . . . ,, , , Conference, 1998.

[7] Verdelho P., Marques G., “Four Wire Active
Power Filter Control Circuit with Phase Locked Loop
Phase Angle Determination”, Power Electronics and
necessary in these applications. With the current controller Variable Speed Drives, 1998.
presented, it is also possible to assure equal current errors [SI Zhang R., Prasad V., H., Boroyevich D., Lee F.C.,
in the converter three-phase AC currents and also in the “Analysis and Design of a Three-phase Inverter with a
neutral current. The current controller proposed has Neutral Leg”, European Power Electronics and
excellent performance. Applications, vol.1, pp.170-175, 1997.
[9] P. Verdelho, “Space Vector Based Current
V. CONCLUSIONS
Controller in ab0 Coordinate System for the PWM
Voltage Converter Connected to the AC Mains”, Power
A space vector based current controller for the four-leg
Electronics and Specialists Conference, v01.2, pp.1115-
PWM voltage converter is presented in this paper. This
1120.
current controller is performed in the ab0 coordinate
system. The voltage space vector in the ab0 space is [lo] Hirofumi Akagi, “New trends in active power
chosen through a look-up table according to the converter filters”, European Power Electronics and Applications,
current errors. The proposed space vector based current 1995, vol. 0, pp.17-26.
controller presents a very good dynamics and lack of track [ 111 Fang-Zhang Peng, Hirofumi Akagi, Akira Nabae, “A
errors, being of very easy implementation. Also, it is study of active power filters using quad-series
possible to assure equal current errors in the converter voltage-source PWM converters for harmonic
three-phase ac currents and also in the neutral current. compensation”, IEEE Trans. Power Electronics,
Due to that it is well adapted to four-wire three-phase ac vo1.5, no.1, pp.9-15, 1990.
applications such as in active power filters, unbalanced
current compensators and neutral current compensators. [12] J. Dixon, J.Garcia, L.MorAn, “Control system for the
This type of applications is gaining a renewed interest. The three-phase active power filter which simultaneously
wide use of non-linear loads in three-phase electricity compensates power factor and unbalanced loads”,
supply networks is leading to transmit high levels of power IEEE Trans. Industrial Electronics, vol 42, n.6,
under unbalanced and non-sinusoidal conditions. This pp.636-641,1995.
result in a variety of undesirable phenomena on the power [ 131 P.Verdelho, G.Marques, “An Active Power Filter and
system. The systems referred to can solve this type of Unbalanced Current Compensator”, IEEE Trans. on
problems improving the supply network. Industrial Electronics, vo1.44, n.3, 1997, pp.321-328.

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