Number of switching state vectors which are in U, is the number of combinations of the levels of all legs:

and space vectors in multilevel Q

P
multiphase converters EU ¼ Nk ð3Þ
k¼1

O. López, E. Levi, F.D. Freijedo and J. Doval-Gandoy where N k ¼ Nmax

k k
 Nmin þ 1 is the number of levels of the leg k. The
set U can be decomposed into two complementary subsets
Expressions to calculate the number of switching state vectors and the U ¼ L < M, where the subset L gathers the switching vectors in
number of space vectors in multilevel multiphase voltage-source con- which at least one leg ( j) reaches the maximum level:
verters are given.  
j
L ¼ vs jvs [ U; vs j ¼ Nmax for some j [ ½1; P ð4Þ
Introduction: Multiphase motor drives have recently attracted much The remaining switching state vectors, in which no leg reaches the
interest in high-power applications owing to the recent developments maximum level, are in the subset M:
in ship propulsion, traction and aerospace fields [1]. Power levels can  k

go even further if the current multilevel technology [2], also devoted M ¼ vs jNmin  vs k  Nmax
k
 1 for all k [ ½1; P ð5Þ
to high-power systems, is combined with multiphase technology [3].
The definition of M is similar to the definition of U, therefore the
Multilevel multiphase converters have thousands of switching states,
number of switching vectors in this set is
even with a moderate number of phases and levels. Therefore, the
degree of freedom in the modulation process of such converters is Q
P

very high when compared with classical two-level three-phase counter- EM ¼ ðN k  1Þ ð6Þ
k¼1
parts, which have only eight switching states.
In [4] the modulation problem of a P-phase converter was solved in a The number of vectors in U, (3), minus the number of vectors in M, (6),
multidimensional space, in which every switching state vector vs ¼ [v1s , gives the number of switching state vectors in L. Since W and L have
v2s , . . ., vPs ]T represents the switching states of all legs. In converters with the same number of elements, the number of space vectors vs of the con-
no connected neutral there are different switching state vectors that verter is
provide the same line-to-line output. All such redundant switching Q
P Q
P
state vectors can be described by a space vector vs ¼ [v1s , EW ¼ Nk  ðN k  1Þ ð7Þ
v2s , . . . , vP21s ]T, where vks ¼ vks 2 vPs [4]. All switching state vectors k¼1 k¼1

that correspond to a particular space vector can be back-calculated as Proving that the space vectors of the set W can be counted by counting
T the switching vectors in L requires to demonstrate that
vs ¼ ½v1s þ n; v2s þ n; . . . ; vP1
s þ n; n ð1Þ

where n is an integer number, which can be positive or negative [4]. † All space vectors are counted.
This Letter provides the expressions to calculate the number of † Each space vector is counted once.
switching state vectors and the number of space vectors in multilevel
multiphase converters, including the theoretical case when the converter All space vectors will be counted if for every switching state vector in
legs have different numbers of levels. M there is another one in L yielding the same space vector. For a
given switching state vector v1 [ M, the redundant switching state
Two-leg converter example: Before considering the general case, the vector v2 ¼ v1 þ ½n; n; . . . ; nT shares the same space vector.
solution for a two-leg converter, where the switching state vectors are Additionally, if
2D, is outlined. Fig. 1 shows the switching vectors of a two-leg conver- k
n ¼ min ðNmax  v1 k Þ ð8Þ
ter with six levels in leg a and five levels in leg b, which have been taken k¼½1;P
completely arbitrarily. The number of the switching state vectors, which
belong to the U, is the number of combinations of all levels of leg a with then the switching vector v2 belongs to the subset L, as is demonstrated
all levels of leg b: in this case it is 6  5 ¼ 30 switching state vectors. in the following:
The space vectors vs of this converter are the projections of the switch-
ing vectors vs along the vector u ¼ [1, 1]T onto the line b ¼ 0 [4]. To † From (5) and (8), the value of n is always greater than zero, and
calculate the number of space vectors of the converter it is necessary v2 k ¼ v1 k þ n . Nmin
k
.
k
to count the number of elements in the set W, or what is the same, to † From (8), n  Nmax  v1 k . As v2 k ¼ v1 k þ n þ ðNmax
k k
 Nmax Þ¼
k k k k k
count the elements in the set L. The number of elements in L is equal ½n  ðNmax  v1 Þ þ Nmax , then v2  Nmax .
to the number of elements in U minus the number of elements in M, k
that is, 30 2 (5  4) ¼ 10 space vectors. Thus, Nmin  v2 k  Nmax
k j
, so v2 belongs to U. From (8), n ¼ Nmax  v1 j
for some j [ ½1; P. The component j of vector v2 ; v2 j ¼
v1 j þ n ¼ Nmax
j
, reaches the maximum level, and consequently v2
Nmaxa = 7
Nmina = 2

P=2
Nb = 6 belongs to the subset L.
T
Proving that every space vector is counted only once requires demon-
b
Nmaxb = 2 strating that there are not two different switching state vectors v1 and v2
6
in L that yield the same space vector vs. From (1) and (4) those vectors
5 can be written as:
N =5

4 v1 ¼ ½vs 1 þ n1 ; . . . ; vP1 þ n1 ; n1 T ; v1 i ¼ Nmax

i
ð9Þ
b

s
= [1,1]T 3 1 P1 T j j
v2 ¼ ½vs þ n2 ; . . . ; vs þ n2 ; n2  ; v 2 ¼ Nmax ð10Þ
2
b

1
Nmin = 2 The value of v1j can be calculated from the vector v2 as v1j ¼ v2j þ (n1 –
j
a
n2) ¼ Nmax þ (n1 – n2), therefore n1 must be less or equal to n2 to fulfil
–4 –3 –2 –1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
v1  Nmax. In the same way, vi2 ¼ vi1 þ (n2 – n1) ¼ Nmax
j j i
þ (n2 – n1),
which requires that n2  n1 to fulfil vi2  Nmax i
. Hence, n1 ¼ n2 and
Fig. 1 Two-dimensional example v1 ¼ v2. As a consequence there are not two different switching
vectors in L that give the same space vector.
Table 1 gives the number of switching state vectors and the number of
Multiphase converter: The switching state vectors vs of a generic multi-
space vectors for several converters with the same number of levels N in
level converter are the elements of the set
every leg. It shows that the number of switching state vectors increases
 
U ¼ vs jNmink
 vs k  Nmax
k
for all k [ ½1; P ð2Þ dramatically with the number of levels and legs of the converter, which
makes it impractical to carry out a modulation based on predefined
k k
where Nmin and Nmax are the minimum and maximum levels that can be switching sequences stored in a memory, even for converters with a
reached by the leg k, respectively. The number of switching state vectors, moderate number of phases and levels.

ELECTRONICS LETTERS 7th May 2009 Vol. 45 No. 10

Table 1: Number of switching state vectors and space vectors # The Institution of Engineering and Technology 2009
21 October 2008
vs/vs N¼2 N¼3 N¼5 N¼7 N¼9
doi: 10.1049/el.2009.3019
P¼3 8/7 27/19 125/61 343/127 729/217
O. López, F.D. Freijedo and J. Doval-Gandoy (Electronics Technology
1.68  104/ 5.91  104/
P¼5 32/31 243/211 3125/2101 Department, Vigo University, ETS Superior de Enxeñeiros Industriais,
9031 2.63  104
7.81  104/ 8.24  105/ 4.78  106/
campus universitario, Vigo, Pontevedra ES36310, Spain)
P¼7 128/127 2187/2059
6.17  104 5/4  105 2.69  106 E-mail: olopez@uvigo.es
1.97  104/ 1.95  106/ 4.04  107/ 3.87  108/
P¼9 512/511
1.92  104 1.69  106 3.03  107 2.53  108
E. Levi (School of Engineering, Liverpool John Moores University,
Byrom Street, Liverpool L3 3AF, United Kingdom)
3.28  104/ 1.44  107/ 3.05  1010/ 4.75  1012/ 2.06  1014/
P ¼ 15
3.28  104 1.43  107 2.94  1010 4.28  1012 1.71  1014
References
1 Levi, E., Bojoi, R., Profumo, F., Toliyat, H.A., and Williamson, S.:
Conclusions: General expressions to calculate the number of switching ‘Multiphase induction motor drives—a technology status review’, IET
state vectors and the number of space vectors in multilevel multiphase Electr. Power Appl., 2007, 1, pp. 489–516
converters are provided. These expressions, which are valid even in 2 Rodriguez, J., Lai, J.-S., and Peng, F.Z.: ‘Multilevel inverters: a survey of
topologies, controls, and applications’, IEEE Trans. Ind. Electron., 2002,
the theoretical case of converters with different numbers of levels in
49, (4), pp. 724–738
each leg, show that the number of switching states and space vectors 3 Lu, S., and Corzine, K.: ‘Multilevel multi-phase propulsion drives’. Proc.
of a converter grow exponentially. IEEE Electric Ship Technologies Symp. (ESTS), Philadelphia, PA, USA,
July 2005, pp. 363– 370
4 López, O., Alvarez, J., Doval-Gandoy, J., and Freijedo, F.D.: ‘Multilevel
Acknowledgment: This work was supported by the Spanish Ministry of multiphase space vector PWM algorithm’, IEEE Trans. Ind. Electron.,
Education and Science under project number ENE2006-02930. 2008, 55, (5), pp. 1933–1942

ELECTRONICS LETTERS 7th May 2009 Vol. 45 No. 10