302 IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON INDUSTRY APPLICATIONS, VOL. 26, NO.

2, MARCHIAPRIL 1990

Programmed PWM Techniques to Eliminate

Harmonics: A Critical Evaluation

Abstmct- Programmed pulsewidth modulators (PWM's) eliminat-

ing several lower-order harmonics generate high-quality output spec-
tra, which in turn results in minimum current ripple, reduced torque
pulsations, and thereby satisfying several performance criteria and con-
tributes to overall improved performance. However, several programmed
PWM switching patterns to eliminate harmonics in the output spec-
tra of single-phase and three-phase inverters are possible. Each one
of these alternatives leads to a specific advantage in single- and three-
phase inverters depending on the application. The superiority of the
programmed PWM techniques over the conventional carrier-modulated
PWM's is established first. Next, a critical evaluation of the aforemen-
tioned programmed PWM schemes on the basis of application for single-
and three-phase inverters is provided, thereby providing the framework
and guidelines for the selection of the appropriate technique for each
application area. Evaluation criteria include harmonic loss factor and
total harmonic distortion factors defined at the input and output of the
inverter terminals. Finnlly, a simple low-cost solution for obtaining the
required PWM switching points is proposed. Selected results are verified
experimentally.

r. INTRODUCTION
RFORMANCE characteristics of a rectifierhverter
p"power conversion scheme (Fig. 1(a)-( c)) largely depend
on the choice of the particular pulsewidth modulation (PWM)
strategy employed. Present-day available PWM schemes can
be broadly classified as carrier-modulated sine PWM and pre-
calculated programmed PWM schemes [11-[5]. Programmed
PWM techniques optimize a particular objective function such
as to obtain minimum losses [I], reduced torque pulsations
[2], selective elimination of harmonics [3], and therefore are
the most effective means of obtaining high-performance re-
sults. It is interesting to note that the various objective func-
tions chosen to generate a particular programmed PWM tech-
nique essentially constitutes the minimization of unwanted ef-
fects due to the harmonics present in the inverter output spec-
tra. In view of this, little or no difference between each one of
the programmed techniques is observed when significant num-
bers of low-order harmonics are eliminated. However, each
one of the programmed PWM techniques is associated with the
Paper IPCSD 89-38, approved by the Static Power Converter Committee
of the Industry Applications Society for presentation at the 1988 Industry A p
plications Society Annual Meeting, Pittsburgh, PA, October 2-7. Manuscript
released for publication July 26, 1989.
P. N. Enjeti is with the Department of Electrical Engineering, Texas A&M
University, College Station, TX 77843-3128.
P. D. Ziogas and J. F. Lindsay are with the Department of Electrical
Engineering, Concordia University, 1455 de Maisonneuve Boulevard, West,
Montreal, PQ H3G 1M8.
IEEE Log Number 8932114.
(4
Fig. 1. Voltage source inverter configurations. (a) Half bridge inverter. (b)
Single-phase full bridge inverter. (c) Three-phase inverter.
difficult task of computing specific PWM switching instants to
optimize a particular objective function. This difficulty is par-
ticularly encountered at lower-output frequency range due to
the necessity of a large number of PWM switching instants.
Also, in most cases only a local minimum can be obtained
after considerable computational effort [2]. Despite these dif-
ficulties programmed PWM's exhibit several distinct advan-
tages in comparison to the conventional carrier-modulated sine
PWM schemes that are listed below.
1) About 50%reduction in the inverter switching frequency
is achieved when comparing with the conventional carrier-
modulated sine PWM scheme.
2) Higher voltage gain due to overmodulation is possible.
This contributes to higher utilization of the power conversion
process.
3) Due to the high quality of the output voltage and current,
the ripple in the dc link current is also small. Thus a reduction
in the size of the dc link filter components is achieved.
4) The reduction in switching frequency contributes to the
reduction in switching losses of the inverter and permits the
use of gate-turn-off (GTO) switches for high-power convert-
ers.
5 ) Elimination of lower-order harmonics causes no har-
monic interference such as resonance with external line filter-
ing networks typically employed in inverter power supplies.

0093-9994/90/03OO-0302$01.OO O 1990 IEEE

ENJETI et U/.:PROGRAMMEDPWM TECHNIQUES TO ELIMINATE HARMONICS 303

Programmed P W M s With
Harmonic E l i m i n a t i o n

m
Line to llne (LL) PwM
waveform optlmlzatlon.
Llne to neutral
waveform (LN) PWM
optlmlzatlon.

For slngle phase appllcatlons
(SLL) All odd harmonlcs Includ-
ing trlpplens are ellmlnated I I P to
the drslred nrst slgnlncant liar-
m o n k . Swltchlng angles SPrCXil 0
to eoo wlth quarter wave sym-
metry.
For three phase appllratlnns
(TLL), All non-trlpplen add har-
monks are ellmlnaced up to Ihr
deslred A r s t slgnlncant Ilarmonlr.
Swltchlng angles spread I1 to 00”
wlth roldlng symmetry.
All trlpplens are absent dilr t o
waverorm symmetry.
T L N I . Qiiarter wave symmetrlc
PWM, swltchlne. m p l c s spread
0 to 000
For three phase appllcatlons For Slngle phase appllcatlons
(TLN). All non-trlpplen odd har- (SLN). All odd harmonlcs Includ-
monlcs are ellmlnated up to the Ing trlpplens are ellmlnated up to
dcslrrd nvst slgnlncant harmonlr. the deslred Orst rlgnlflcant har-
1\11 trlpplrn hnrmnnlcs are can- monk.
ccllcd dnr t o 120’ phase shlrt.
I &---I
SLN1. Quarter wave symmetrlc
PWM. swltchlng angles spread
0 M 000 I
SLNZ. same BS S L N l wlth phase
s h i n to suppress the nnt.
*
TI,N2. Quarcer wave syminetrlc
slpnlflcant harmonle.

[’WM. swltchlng angles sprcad

n to ono

Fig. 2. General classification of programmed PWM’s with harmonic elimination.

6) The use of precalculated optimized programmed PWM
switching patterns avoids on line computations and provides
straightforward implementation of a high-performance tech-
nique.
With the present-day enhancement in computing power
and calculating procedures, the nonlinear equations associ-
ated with selective elimination of harmonics can be solved
for small and large degrees of freedom [6]. Also with the
availability of inexpensive large memory components this ap-
proach is now feasible for power control applications over a
wide frequency range [7]. In view of this, programmed PWM
techniques with the choice of eliminating several lower-order
harmonics of any degree in the inverter output spectra have
emerged as an important and viable means of power con-
trol. Elimination of several lower-order harmonics generates
high-quality output spectra, which in turn results in minimum
current ripple, reduced torque pulsations, and thereby satis-
fying several performance criteria and contributes to overall
improved performance. However, several programmed PWM
switching patterns to eliminate harmonics in the output spectra
of single-phase and three-phase inverters are possible (Fig.
2). This is due to the fact that the nonlinear equations for
eliminating harmonics can be formulated on a line-to-neutral
or line-to-line PWM waveforms; also, the triplen harmonics
can be retained or eliminated. Further, nonlinear equations
exhibit several multiple solutions. Each of the above alterna-
tives leads to a specific advantage in single- and three-phase
inverters depending on the application. Figs. Al-A5 illustrate
various programmed PWM’s to eliminate harmonics in single-
and three-phase inverters.
This paper provides a critical evaluation of the aforemen-
tioned programmed PWM schemes on the basis of application
for single- and three-phase inverters, thereby providing the
framework and guidelines for the selection of the appropriate
technique for each application area. Several quality factors
such as harmonic loss factor and total harmonic distortion
(THD) factors are plotted for varying modulation index con-
ditions in the inverter output. Based on these quality factors an
optimum technique for each application area is identified. This
paper also provides the guidelines for solving nonlinear equa-
tions associated with each one of the harmonic elimination
PWM’s (Fig. 2) for small and very large degrees of freedom.
Their solution behavior along with their storage requirements
for practical realization of the schemes are also discussed in
detail. Finally, selected results are verified experimentally on
5-kW single- and three-phase inverters.
OF PROGRAMMED
II. CHARACTERIZATION PWM BCHNIQUES TO
HARMONICS
ELIMINATE
Fig. 2 shows a general classification of programmed
PWM’s to eliminate harmonics. Two basic alternatives based
on line-to-line PWM waveforms consisting of three-level
switching (between positive, zero, and negative states, as
shown in Fig. Al(a) in Appendix A) and line-to-neutral PWM
waveforms consisting of two-level switching (between posi-
tive and negative states, as shown in Fig. A2(a)) exist. These
two basic alternatives stem into several other possible schemes
based on single- or three-phase inverter configuration (Figs.
Al-A5). The programmed PWM’s are then translated into
respective gating signals for the inverter switches. Evaluation
of each one of these schemes for a constant switching fre-
quency and varying output voltage conditions based on each
application are thoroughly discussed in the following sections.
A . Harmonic Elimination Techniquesfor Three-phase
Inverters
Fig. l(c) shows the basic configuration of a three-phase
inverter. Fig. 2 illustrates the general classification of vari-
ous programmed PWM’s to eliminate harmonics. Fig. 3(b)
shows the harmonic elimination PWM’s suitable for three-
phase inverters. Figs. A3-A5 in Appendix A illustrates the
PWM switching functions to eliminate nontriplen harmonics
in the output voltage V L . All triplen harmonics are absent in
VL due to a 120-degree rotation for a balanced three-phase
operation.
1) TLNI Technique: Fig. A3(a) in Appendix A shows
304 IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON INDUSTRY APPLICATIONS, VOL. 26, NO. 2, MARCHlAPRlL 1990

Programmed PWM technique with

Harmonic elimination for single
phase full bridge inverters

$. +
* *
Llne t o llne F'WM (LI,) Llne lo neuLrnl PWM (LN)
waveform optlmlzatlon. wavefornl optlmlzatlon.

SLL TLL TLNl TLN2 S L N l SLN2

(a)

Programmed PWM techniques with

Harmonic elimination for three
phme inverters

+
Line to llne P W M (LL)
waveform optlmlzatlon.
$.
Llne to neutral PWM (LN)
waveform optimlzatlon.

TLL
J- T - 3 TLN2
TLNl

(b) (d)
Fig. 3. Programmed PWM techniques with harmonic elimination suitable .86

for (a) single-phase full bridge inverters and (b) three-phase inverters.

the quarter wave symmetric TLNl switching function. The

P .8?
A b
36
.ea
42
.ea
b
72 f(pu)

Fourier coefficients of this switching function are given by
(e)
Fig. 4. Waveforms of three-phase inverter on TLNl programmed PWM.
(a) Switch SIgating signal. (b) Line-to-line voltage ( V L ) .(c) Frequency
spectrum of (b). (d) Input dc current Idf (pf = 1). (e) Frequency spectrum
of (d).

bn = O . (2)
Equation (1) has N variables (a1 to C Y N ) and a set of solu-
tions is obtainable by equating N - 1 harmonics to zero and
assigning a specific value of the amplitude of the fundamental
(al). These equations are nonlinear as well as transcenden-
tal in nature, and multiple solutions are possible. A set of
solutions for the switching angles satisfying the criterion
(3)
pressed as
f c = (2N + 1)f (5)
wheref is the operating frequency of the inverter.
Fig. 4(a)-(e) illustrate the operation of the three-phase in-
verter (Fig. l(C)) on TI." technique for N = 11. Fig. 4(a)
Shows the gating signal for switch 1. Fig. 4(b) and (c) illus-
trate the line-to-line Voltage VL and its frequency spectrum.
The order of the first and second significant harmonic com-
ponent in the inverter output are given by

-Tal
- 4+ 1
- 2 cos CY1 -2 cos (112 . 2( cos CYN -
1
2 cos 5CXl -2 cos 5CY2 ' 2(-1)N+' cos 5CYN
-
- (4)

-2 COS ( x ~ ) c Y-2
~ COS ( x ~ ) c Y ~ . 2( -l)N+' COS(Xsub l ) a -~
- 1 -

where inverter input current I d c and its frequency spectrum at pf =

1. The first and second significant harmonic in I d c , which are
XI =3N-2. essentially in multiples of six, are given by
Fig. A3(b) and (c) in Appendix A illustrates the solution tra- ID, = 3 N + 3 (8)
jectories for the nonlinear equations (4). The switching angles
spread is up to 90" in this scheme. ID, = 3 N 9. (9) +
Inverter switching frequency f c defined as the number of The maximum obtainable output voltage V L (peak) is one per
current interruption cycles per second per switch can be ex- unit for one per unit dc bus voltage in this scheme.
ENJETI et al. : PROGRAMMED PWM TECHNIQUES TO ELIMINATE HARMONICS 305

straints given in (3). It is interesting to note that the switching

angles (111 to CYN all lie within 0 to 60".This property con-
tributes to a simplified implementation of this scheme, since
only two inverter legs need to be modulated at any given in-
stant.
Inverter switching frequency fc is given by (5). Fig.
5(a)-(e) illustrate the operation of the three-phase inverter
(Fig. l(c)) on TLN2 technique for N = 10. Fig. 5(a) shows
the gating signal for switch 1. Figs. 5(b) and (c) illustrate
. I 3 . 3 3. Z Z .I6 .I4 the line-to-line voltage V , and its frequency spectrum. The
4 6
3 1 35 37 65 67 f(pu) order of first and second significant harmonic component in
the inverter output is given by

(d)
D2 = 3 N + 3 . (14)
Fig. A4(d) in Appendix A shows the general variation of D1
1
.a6

.I1 .m .E2 and D2 for changes in V,. Fig. 5(d) and (e) illustrate the
A h
30 36 66 f(pu) inverter input current I d c and its frequency spectrum at p f =
(e) 1. The first and second significant harmonics in I d c , which are
Fig. 5. Waveforms of three-phase inverter on TLN2 programmed PWM. essentially in multiples of six, are given by
(a) Switch SIgating signal. (b) Line-to-line voltage (VL).(c) Frequency
spectrum of (b). (d) Input dc current I d c @f = 1). (e) Frequency spectrum
of (d).

2) TLN2 Technique: Fig. A4(a) in Appendix A shows the ID, = 3N + 6. (16)

quarterwave symmetric TLN2 switching function. The Fourier The maximum obtainable output voltage V , (peak) is one per
coefficients of the switching function are given by unit for a one per unit dc bus voltage in this scheme.
3) TLL Technique: Fig. A5(a) in Appendix A shows the
quarterwave symmetric TLL switching function employing
positive, zero, and negative switching states. This waveform
directly constitutes the line-to-line voltage V , at the inverter
output. As shown in Fig. A5(a) only the first 60" interval (per
b, = O . (11)
half cycle) of the switching function is determined by solving
The nonlinear equations for selective elimination of N - 1 the nonlinear equation. The last 60" interval (per half cycle)
lower-order non-triplen harmonics such as 5, 7, 11, etc., for is the same as the first 60" interval. The 60" to 120" inter-
an even N can be written as val is then obtained by folding the first and last 60" intervals
around the 60" and 120' points respectively (as indicated by
-2 cos CY1 .

1
2 cos 012 2(-1)" cos (YN
arrows in Fig. A5(a)). The folding of first and last 60" in-
-2 cos 50!1 2 cos 5CY2 ' 2(-1)N cos 5ffN tervals guarantees the nonexistence of all triplen harmonics in
the switching function, which is a necessary condition for any
three-phase line-to-line voltage. TLL is a quarterwave sym-
metric PWM waveform. The Fourier coefficients for an even
N can be written as

where C Y N + ~to C Y ~ Nare obtained by folding symmetry. For

N = 6 as shown in Fig. A5(a), 1x7 to 0112 can be derived
from folding symmetry
where

~2 = 3 N - 1. (12)
Fig. A4(b) and (c) in Appendix A illustrates the solution tra-
jectories for the nonlinear equations (12), satisfying the con- CY11 = 120 - a 4 , CY12 = 120 -CY3.
306 IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON INDUSTRY APPLICATIONS, VOL. 26, NO. 2, MARCHIAPW 1'%0

tions TLN1, TLN2, and TLL suitable for three-phase invert-

ers can also be applied to single-phase full bridge inverters. It
is noted further that SLNl harmonic elimination PWM is the
only technique suitable for single-phase half bridge inverter
cos 011 -cos a2 - cos a 2 N configuration. These switching functions result in a specific
advantage in some applications that warrant the use of three
single-phase full bridge inverters to supply a three-phase load
(Fig. 13).
I ) SLNI Technique: Fig. A2(a) in Appendix A shows the
-COS (X~)(YI - cos (X2)(Y2 - cos (X2)a2N - quarterwave symmetric SLNl switching function. The Fourier
co-efficients of this switching function are the same as (1) and
where (2). The nonlinear equations for selective elimination of N - 1
lower-order harmonics (including triplen) such as 3, 5, 7, 9,
etc., can be written as

Figs. A5(b) and (c) in Appendix A illustrates the solution where

trajectories for the nonlinear equations (19), satisfying the
constraint
7r
< a 2 <a3 < "'(YN <- Fig. A2(b) and (c) in Appendix A illustrates the solution tra-
3 jectories for the nonlinear equations (25), satisfying the con-
and the folding symmetry. The first three significant harmonics straint in (3).
in the output voltage V L are given by The expression for inverter switching frequency fc is the
same as given in ( 5 ) . Fig. 6(a) to (f) illustrate the operation
D1=3N+1 (20) of the single-phase full bridge inverter on SLNl technique
for N = 11. Figs. 6(a) and (b) shows the gating signals for
switches S1 and S3. Fig. 6(c) and (d) illustrate the line-to-line
0 3 = 3N +7. (22) voltage V L and its frequency spectrum. The order of first and
second significant harmonic component in the inverter output
Fig. A5(d) in Appendix A shows the general variation of D1, is given by
D 2 , and D3 for changes in V L. The first and second significant
harmonics in Idc,which are essentially in multiples of six, are
given by
ID, = 3 N (23) D2 = 2 N +3. (27)
Io, = 3 N + 6. (24) Fig. A2(d) in Appendix A shows the general variation of D1
The maximum obtainable output voltage V L (peak) is 0.85 and D2 for changes in V L . Fig. 6(e) and (f) illustrate the
per unit for a one per unit dc bus voltage in this scheme. The inverter input current I d c and its frequency spectrum at pf =
reduction in output voltage is seen as a disadvantage of the 1. Second harmonic component appears in I d c due to single-
TLL technique. phase operation. The maximum obtainable output voltage V L
(peak) is one per unit for one per unit dc bus voltage in this
B . Harmonic Elimination Techniquefor Single-phase scheme. The waveforms shown in Figs. 6(a)-(d) are also valid
Inverters for single-phase half bridge inverter configuration.
Fig. l(a) and (b) show the basic half bridge and full bridge 2) SLN2 Technique: The PWM switching function in
configurations in single-phase inverters. Figs. A1 and A2 in SLN2 technique is same as SLNl. The important difference
Fig. 3(a) shows the PWM schemes suitable for single-phase is in the gating of the full bridge inverter switches SI to S4.
full bridge inverter configuration. Figs. A1 and A2 in Ap- In SLN2 technique switch SI in Fig. l(b) receives the gat-
pendix A illustrate the PWM switching function to eliminate ing signal (SW1) shown in Fig. 7(a), which is the same as
harmonics (including triplens) in the output voltage V L .It is in SLNl scheme. Let V I1 and VD11 be the fundamental and
further shown in this section that the PWM switching func- the first signal harmonic D1 in S W I . The order of the first
ENlETI et al.: PROGRAMMED PWM TECHNIQUES TO ELIMINATE HARMONICS 307

@)

1
6
.34 .3l .24 - v13 VL,= vlI-vl3

I
4
21 23 25
P
43 45 f(pu)
@)
Fig. 8. Phasor diagram of single-phase full bridge inverter. (a) SLNl tech-
nique. (b) SLN2 technique.

significant component D1 is given by (26).Now let the gating

signal for S 3 , which is SW3, be phase shifted by /3 where
180
/ 3 = 1 8 0 - -2 N + 1 '

The phase shift /3 rotates the fundamental component in SW3,

(f)
Fig. 6. Waveforms of single-phase full-bridge inverter on SLNl pro-
grammed PWM. (a) Switch SIgating signal (SWl). (b) Switch S3 gating
signal (SW3). (c) Line-to-line voltage ( V L ) .(d) Frequency spectrum of
(c). (e) Input dc current I d = ( pf = 1). (f) Frequency spectrum of (e).
which is 1/13 by /3 degrees (Fig. 8(b)). However, the first
significant harmonic 1/D13 present in SW3 is rotated by
/3(2N+1)degrees. This rotation aligns both VD11 and VD13
as shown in Fig. 8(b). The inverter output voltage V , is de-
duced from the subtraction of S W3 form S W 1 , and its fun-
damental component V,, is given by

I/,, = 1/11 - v13. (29)

Therefore the output voltage V , does not contain the first
+
significant harmonic of the order (2N 1). Also, from the
overall frequency spectrum of V L shown in Fig. 7(d), the
significant harmonic components around D 1 are also severely
attenuated and the new D1 and 0 2 for SLN2 technique are
found to be

Fig. 7(e) and (f) illustrate the inverter input current zdc and its
frequency spectrum at pf = 1 . The second harmonic compo-
nent appears in z d c due to single-phase operation. The maxi-
mum obtainable output voltage V , (peak) is one per unit for
a one per unit dc bus voltage in this scheme. The magnitude
of the fundamental component is not significantly affected due
to a small phase shift as seen in Fig. 8(b).
.5.5
3) SLL Tmhnique: Fig. Al(a) in Appendix A shows the
If
8 2
.L4.86

42 44
A
f(pu)
quarterwave symmetric SLL switching function. The Fourier
coefficients of this switching function are given by
(f)
Fig. 7. Waveforms of single-phase full-bridge inverter on SLN2 pro-
grammed PWM. (a) Switch SIgating signal (SW1). (b) Switch S ) gating
signal (SW3). (c) Line-to-line voltage ( V L ) . (d) Frequency spectrum of
(c). (e) Input dc current I d c (pf = 1). (f) Frequency spectrum of (e).

b, = O . (33)
308 IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON INDUSTRY APPLICATIONS, VOL. 26, NO. 2, MARCHIAPRIL 1990

1
n II I I 1.n n 188
1~~~ I I I I I I 1 11 in

.5.5 I .5.5

PP
8 2
.09

42
.03.87
bbb
44 46 4 0
.06

f(pu) 8 2
.24

34
.I6
P
36
.I5
8
78 f(P")

(f)
Fig. 9. Waveforms of single-phase full bridge inverter on SLL programed
PWM. (a) Switch SI gating signal (SWl). (b) Switch S3 gating signal
(SW3). (c) Line-to-line voltage ( Y d . (d) Frequency spectrum of (c). (e)
Input dc current Idc @f = 1). (f) Frequency spectrum of (e).
(f)
Fig. 10. Waveforms of single-phase full bridge inverter on TLNl pro-
grammed PWM. (a) Switch SIgating signal. (b) Switch Ss gating signal
(phase shift 120"). (c) Line-to-line voltage ( V L ) .(d) Frequency spectrum
of (c). (e) Input dc current Idc (pf = 1). (f) Frequency spectrum of (e).

(b) shows the gating signals for switches S1 and S3. Fig. 9(c)
The nonlinear equations for selective elimination of N - 1
and (d) illustrates the line-to-line voltage V L and its frequency
lower-order harmonics such as 3 , 5 , 7 , 9 , etc., can be written spectrum. The order of first and second significant harmonic
as component in the inverter output is given by

D1 = 2 N + 1

Fig. Al(d) in Appendix A shows the general variation of D1

and D2 for changes in V , . Fig. 9(e) and (f) illustrates the
inverter input current I d c and its frequency spectrum at pf =
1. The second harmonic component appears in I d c due to
the single-phase operation. The maximum obtainable output
voltage V , (peak) is one per unit for a one per unit dc bus
voltage in this scheme.
4) TLNI, TLN2, and TLL Techniques for Single-phase
Inverter: Sections 11-A1 to 11-A3 describe the three-phase
where PWM techniques. Figs. 10-12 illustrate the application of
these techniques to single-phase full bridge inverters. Figs.
~3 = 2 N - 1. (34) 10-12(a) and (b) show the gating signals for switches SI
Fig. Al(b) and (c) in Appendix A illustrates the solution and S 3 , respectively. SW3 is phase shifted by 120" in TLNl
trajectories for the nonlinear equations (34), satisfying the and TLN2 techniques. The 120" phase shift cancels all the
constraint in (3). Inverter switching frequency f c can be ex- triplen harmonics in V L (Figs. 10 and ll(d)). In TLL tech-
nique triplen harmonics do not exist due to folding symmetry.
pressed as
The nonexistence of triplen harmonics in V L is necessary for
fc = ( N + 1lf. (35) transformer-coupled operation of three single-phase inverters
to supply a three-phase load as shown in Fig. 13. In such
Fig. 9(a)-(f) illustrates the operation of the single-phase in- applications the existence of triplen harmonics cannot be tol-
verter (Fig. l(b)) on SLL technique for N = 20. Fig. 9(a) and erated since they produce zero-sequence currents that satu-
ENJETI et al.: PROGRAMMED PWM TECHNIQUES TO ELIMINATE HARMONICS 3 09

Slngle Phase F u l l

Phase S h i f t

SPFB Inverter
Phase S h l f t 128'
8 ,

SPFB Inverter
Phase S h l f t 248'
I I
Fig. 13. Three transformer-coupledsingle-phase full-bridge inverters sup-
plying three-phase load.

I '

.33
rate the inverter output transformer. This is due to the fact
.I3 .22 .I6 .I4
4 6 that zero-sequence impedance of a three-phase transformer is
f(pu)
313S37 SS 67
zero for co-phasal triplen voltage harmonics. Due to these rea-
sons TLN1, TLN2, and TLL techniques are recommended for
transformer-coupled operation of three single-phase inverters
to supply a three-phase load.
III. SOLUTION
METHODS EQUATIONS
FOR NONLINEAR

The nonlinear equations (4), (12), (19), (25), and (34) en-
. 5 .s countered in programmed PWM's to eliminate harmonics can
PP
8 2
.I3 .I3
4 4 4
30 32
.I6

34
.ea
b
64 f(pu)
be solved for small and large degree of freedom by employ-
ing suitable numerical techniques. Fig. Al(b) and (c) to Fig.
(f) A5(b) and (c) illustrate the solution trajectories of the non-
Fig. 11. Waveforms of single-phase full bridge inverter on TLN2 pro- linear equations for varying a1 or output voltage V L . The
grammed PWM. (a) Switch SIgating signal. (b) Switch 83 gating signal
(phase shift 120'). (c) Line-to-line voltage ( V L ) .(d) Frequency spectrum
trajectories are continuous and follow a near straight line be-
of (c). (e) Input dc current I d c ( pf = 1). (f) Frequency spectrum of (e). havior for variations in VL. Reference [6] illustrates a method
of solving nonlinear equations by identifying certain symme-
tries and defining a set of straight lines which approximate
the exact solution. A low-cost solution for solving the non-
linear equations is via numerical methods available in stan-
dard mathematical libraries for the IBM PC environment. The
subroutine ZSPOW for solving N nonlinear equations in Zn-
ternational mathematical and statistical library (IMSL) for
IBM PC is found to be most useful in the present context.
Algorithms for providing starting values close to the exact so-
lution, which guarantee convergence in a numerical solution,
can be formulated by following the procedure outlined in [6].
Appendix B illustrates sample solutions for various PWM's
described in Section 11.

P .36 . 2 I , I

31
46
3S 37 f(pu)
A . Storage Requirements of a Programmed PWM
It is necessary to translate the precalculated PWM switch-
ing instants (011 to U N ) into gating signals for the respective
inverter switches SIto s6 (for a three-phase inverter). One
cycle of the gating signal (Fig. 4(a)) i.e., 0 to 360 degrees is
divided into 2k bits providing a resolution of 0.176 degrees.
Further, 2k X8 bits of memory space is required to store the
gating signals S1 to S6 for one particular value of output volt-
.43 .43
age ( V L ) .Data bits DOto D5 of the 8-bit data represent the
PP
8 2
.IS
4
38
.in
46
32 3 4
.I3

f(P")
(f)
Fig. 12. Waveforms of single-phase full-bridge inverter on TLL pro-
grammed PWM. (a) Switch SIgating signal (SWI). (b) Switch S3 gating
signal (SW3). (c) Line-to-line voltage ( V L ) .(d) Frequency spectrum of
(c). (e) Input dc current I d c (pf = 1). (0 Frequency spectrum of (e).
gating signals SIto s6 (Fig. 14), respectively. The remain-
ing two bits &, 0 7 are left free. The overlap delays required
in the gating signals are incorporated while programming the
memory. As an example a standard 64k X8 bits of memory
can accommodate 32 different sets of gating signals (SIto s6)
each resulting in a specific value of output voltage V L .This
method of implementation provides a straight forward trans-
310 IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON INDUSTRY APPLICATIONS, VOL. 26, NO. 2, MARCH/APRIL 1990

CIh &
fc I h- f . 2 8 4 8 HZ
C O U N T E R

Fig. 14. Logic diagram for generating gating signals.

0 .2 .4 .6 .E I

IV. EVALUATION
OF PROGRAMMED
PWM’s TO ELIMINATE
HARMONICS
Sections 11-A and 11-B provide accurate characterizations of
programmed PWM’s to eliminate harmonics for three-phase
and single-phase inverters at a fixed inverter switching fre-
quency (f = 21 pu) and fixed value of output voltage V L.
I
In this section evaluation of programmed PWM’s is under- 0 .I2 .I4 .‘6
VL .IE
I
taken based on application. Inverter output power is typically
(b)
controlled via output voltage ( V L )and output frequency (f)
Fig. 15. Variation of harmonic loss factor ( H L F ) versus V L .(a) Single-
i.e., V /f control when supplying a variable speed ac motor phase inverter configuration. (b) Three-phase inverter configuration.
drive. In a fixed frequency inverter power supply such as un-
interruptible power supply (UPS), power control is achieved phase and three-phase inverter configurations for the same
via output voltage ( V L ) variation. Four quality factors used switching frequency (fc = 21 pu).
in this paper to evaluate these techniques based on application
are defined as follows. Second-Order Distortion Factor DF2
Harmonic Loss Factor HLF Inverter power supplies such as uninterruptible power sup-
plies (UPS) employ a L -C filter between the inverter and the
Harmonic loss factor represents harmonic copper loss in a load. The main purpose of this filter is to provide harmonic
typical variable speed ac motor drive powered from a switched attenuation, which is proportional to the square of the order
voltage source. The harmonic equivalent circuit of an induc- (n) of the harmonic. Therefore, a distortion factor that rep-
tion machine can be assumed to be its total leakage reactance resents total harmonic content at the output of a second-order
at the harmonic frequency [ 11. Therefore harmonic current I,, filter can be defined as
is given by

I, = ~
Vn
27rnf L ,
where
For an inverter power supply a PWM scheme that resuits in
V, harmonic voltage (rms) minimum DF2 will be desirable. Fig. 16(a) and (b) illus-
Le leakage inductance of the motor trates the DF2 variation for single- and three-phase inverter
n order of the harmonic. configurations. For each one of these schemes DF2 increases
In a variable speed ac drive it is necessary to main constant progressively as the output voltage V L is reduced.
voltshertz. Therefore, the fundamental component of the in- Input rms Ripple Current I C 1
verter output voltage V L , is proportional to operating fre-
quency f. Equation (38) can be rewritten assuming one per Input rms ripple current IC1 is defined at the input of the
unit Le, inverter terminals. This quality index is a measure for rms
ripple current the dc link filter capacitor must tolerate or sup-
port:
(39)

The harmonic loss factor, which is proportional to total rms

harmonic current, can be defined as

Input current I d c contains only even harmonics. Further, in

(40) a three-phase inverter supplying a balanced three-phase load
only even harmonics of multiples of six exist (Fig. 5(e)). Fig.
Fig. 15(a) and (b) shows the variation of HLF for single- 17 shows the variation of IC1.
ENJETI et al.: PROGRAMMED PWM TECHNIQUES TO ELIMINATE HARMONICS 311

TABLE I

\
SLNI
OPTIMUM PWM TECHNIQUE FOR EACH INVERTER CONFIGURATION

SLN2 Inverter Overall Optimum

Configuration PWM Technique Comments

(a) single-phase SLN 1 These techniques provide

half bridge 100% utilization of the dc
inverter bus voltage i.e., V, = 1
(b) single-phase SLL pu (peak)for 1 pu dc bus
full bridge voltage. They also
inverter guarantee elimination of
(c) three-phase TLN 1 harmonics up to the
inverter desired first signficant.

tions do not change for any given fc . Also, to facilitate direct

comparison of programmed PWM techniques with the con-
ventional carrier-modulated sine PWM (SPWM), Figs. 15-18
show the variation of quality factors for SPWM at the same
switching frequency.
E .2 .4 .6 .e 1 Selection of Optimum P WM Techniquesfor Each
VL
Application
Figs. 15-18 illustrate various quality factors defined in the
previous section. For meaningful interpretation of the data the
switching frequency variable is the same for all PWM tech-
niques considered. From the analytical data computed, it can
be concluded that the overall optimum PWM for single-phase
inverter is SLL technique. The corresponding optimum PWM
for three-phase inverter is TLNl technique. TLL technique for
three-phase inverters exhibits improved performance for the
defined quality factors; however, the principle disadvantage of
I I this technique is that its maximum obtainable output voltage
E .2 .4 .6
VL
.E 1 is only 0.85 pu. This technique is suitable for applications re-
Fig. 17. Variation of input rms ripple current ICI versus V L .
quiring low output voltage such as low-speed operation of ac
motor drives. Further SLNl is the only technique suitable for
single-phase half bridge inverter. Table I lists the overall op-
timum PWM techniques for single- and three-phase inverter
configurations. Also, it should be noted that the worst case
IC1 and DFo occurs at V L = 0.7 pu for TLN1. These fac-
tors need to be considered during the determination of dc link
filter component ratings.
In PWM inverter-fed variable speed ac motor drives, SLL
E .2 .4 .6 .e I and TLNl PWM’s result in lower harmonic losses and there-
VL fore contribute to lower harmonic heating, and consequently
lower derating of the ac motor drive. The various quality
factors defined in earlier sections represent the actual levels
Input Current Distortion Factor DFo of harmonic distortion experienced in practical application.
Input current distortion factor DFo represents rms ripple Based on the computed analytical data Table I1 illustrates the
current in the dc link filter inductor and is defined as recommended programmed PWM’s for each application.
V . EXPERIMENTAL
RESULTS

In this section selected results are verified experimentally on

Fig. 18 shows the variation of DFo. Worst case DFo and
IC1 figures are most useful in the selection of dc link filter
component values.
It is further noted here that the various quality factors HFL,
DFz, IC1, and DFo shown in Figs. 15-18 have been plot-
ted for one particular value of inverter switching frequency
(fc = 21). However, their shapes and their relative posi-
5-kVA laboratory single- and three-phase inverter configura-
tions. Fig. 19(a)-(b) shows the TLNl and TLN2 techniques
and their frequency spectrum for a three-phase inverter at
f = 60 Hz (1 pu) and fc = 1260 Hz (21 pu). Further, Fig.
20 illustrates the operation of a three-phase induction motor
drive on TLNl PWM. Fig. 21(a)-(c) shows the SLL, SLNl,
and SLN2 technique at f = 60 Hz (1 pu) and fc = 1260 Hz
(21 PU).
312 IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON INDUSTRY APPLICATIONS, VOL. 26, NO. 2 , MARCHIAPRIL 1990

TABLE I1
RECOMMENDED PROGRAMMED PWM FOR EACH APPLICATION

Recommended
Programmed
Application PWM
( I ) three-phase ac motor
drives
(a) wide speed TLN I has an
variation (say 10: 1) overall high
performance
feature
(b) limited speed TLNZ, TLNl
variation (say 2: I )
(c) low speed TLL
operation
(2) three-phase fixed TLN 1
frequency
uninterruptible
power supply (UPS)
(3) single-phase ac motor SLL, SLN2 has an overall
drives optimum
(4)single-phase fixed SLL
frequency SLN2
uninterruptible
power supply (UPS)
( 5 ) three transformer- TLN 1 no triplen
coupled single-phase harmonics
inverters to supply
three-phase load
(Fig. 8)

(i)
6)

(ii) (ii)

(iii)
(iii)

(1)
(1)
(ii) (ii)

(iii)
A AA (iii)
I 31 3537
A A A
(b) I 21 23 25
Fig. 19. Experimental waveforms on three-phase inverter, dc bus voltage (3)
200 V , line current I , = 10 A, f = 60 Hz (1 pu), fc = 1260-Hz (21 pu).
(a) TLNl programmed PWM (N = 11). (b) TLN2 programmed PWM
( N = IO). (i) Line-to-line voltage V L (ii) Line current I , (iii) Frequency (1)
spectrum of (1).
(ii)

(iii)

Fig. 21. Experimental waveforms on single-phase full bridge inverter, dc

A A
1 e5 bus voltage 200 V , line current I , = 10 A, f = 60 Hz, fc = 1260
Hz. (a) SLL programmed PWM (N= 21). (b) SLNl programmed PWM
Fig. 20. Experimental waveforms on induction motor drive operating with (N= 10). (c) SLN2 programmed pWM (N= (i) output
voltage V L ,
TLNl programmed PWM, N = 31, f = 15 Hz. (a) Line-to-he voltage (ii) Output 1,. (iii) ~r~~~~~~~spectrum of (1).
( V , = 60, V rms). (b) Line current I , (6 A). (c) Frequency spectrum of
(a).
ENJETI et al.: PROGRAMMED PWM TECHNIQUES TO ELIMINATE HARMONICS 313

A (continued)
APPENDIX

SLNl - Llne to neutral programmed PWh4 for slngle phase

Inverters. All odd harmonlcs lncludlng trlpplen are ellm-
lnated up to t h e deslred flrst slgnlflcant harmonlc.
Swltchlng angles spread 0 to 90'

. .
f f 1 ff* - - a,

VL
(b)

gO1
45

0 I
I

ff1
I
!2
I
!4 !6
I
!8 i

g09
45

I I I I
08

ff1
I

I
3
n
-
c

-
rn
4
la--
T

I !2 !4 .'6 !8 i g .5--
VL
(C) 5
n 0
8 .2 .4 .6 1
"L

.6

V
1"

Fnd D1 D2 03
Dl-ZN+l, D2-2N+3, D3-2N+5
(e)
Fig. A2. SLNl programmed PWM. (a) Line-to-neutral PWM waveform.
(b) Solution trajectories for N = 7, (to eliminate 3, 5, 7, 9, 1 1 , 13 har-
monics, D I = 15). (c) Solution trajectories for N = 9, (to eliminate 3, 5,
7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17 harmonics, D I = 19). (d) General variation of first
Fn d D1 D2 D3 D4
three significant harmonics versus V L. (e) Generalized frequency spectrum
of v,.
D1-2N+1. D2-2N+3, D3-2N+5, D4*2N+7
(e)
Fig. A l . SLL programmed PWM. (a) Line-to-line PWM waveform. (b)
Solution trajectories for N = 6, (to eliminate 3, 5, 7, 9, 11 harmonics,
D , = 13). (c) Solution trajectories for N = 8, (to eliminate 3, 5, 7, 9,
11 harmonics, D I = 17). (d) General variation of first four significant
harmonics versus V L. (e) Generalized frequency spectrum of V L.
3 14 IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON INDUSTRY APPLICATIONS, VOL. 26, NO. 2, MARCHlAPRIL 1990

APPENDIXA (continued)

-
TLNl Llne to neutral programmed PWM Tor three phase
Inverters. All non-trlpplen odd hafmonlcs are ellmlnated up
to t h e deslred flrst slgnlflcant harrnonlc.
Swltchlng angles spread 0 to 90'
TLN2 - Llne to neutral programmed P W M for three phase
Inverters. All non-trlpplen odd harmonlcs are ellmlnated up
to t h e desired flrst slgnlflcant harrnonlc.
Swltchlng angles spread 0 to 60'

0 - I I I I
Iff1

90T

4 5
-
j g
I I I I
!2 .I4 !6 .I8

I0 .'2 VL

1
1
A

Fn d (DL-BN+I) (D2-3N+53
Fnd (DI-JN+E) (02-3N+4)
(e)
(e) Fig. A4. TLN2 programmed PWM. (a) Line-to-neutral PWM waveform.
Fig. A3. TLNl programmed PWM. (a) Line-to-neutral PWM waveform. (b) Solution trajectories for N = 6, (to eliminate 5, 7, 11, 13, 17 harmon-
(b) Solution trajectories for N = 7, (to eliminate 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19 ics, 01 = 19). (c) Solution trajectories for N = 8, (to eliminate 5, 7, 11,
harmonics, D I = 23). (c) Solution trajectories for N = 9, (to eliminate 5, 13, 17, 19, 23 harmonics, D I = 25). (d) General variation of first signifi-
7, 11, 13, 17, 19, 23, 25 harmonics, 01 = 29). (d) General variation of cant (01) and second significant ( 0 2 ) harmonic versus V L .(e) Generalized
first significant (01)
and second significant ( 0 2 ) harmonic versus V L .(e) frequency spectrum of V L .
Generalized frequency spectrum of V L.
 ENJETI et al.: PROGRAMMED PWM TECHNIQUES TO ELIMINATE HARMONICS 315

A (continued)
APPENDIX
B
APPENDIX
Selected Solutions Of Various Progr-d PVnk
TLL - Llne to llne programmed PWh4 for three phase
'lnverten. All non-trlpplen odd harmonlcs are ellmlnated up To Eliminate Harmonics
t o the desired flrst slgnlflcant harmonlc.
Swltchlng angles spread 0 t o 60' 1. SLL - Line to line programed P W for single phase
inverters.

N=9, 3.5,7.9.11,13,15.17Eliminated. at VL=l pu

13.978 18.424 28.135 36.770 42.652
54.929 57.710 72.740 73.466

N=21. 3.5.7,9.11.13.15.17,19.21.23.25.27,29.31
33.35.37.39,41 Eliminated. at VL=l pu
7.230 8.770 14.472 16.538 21,740
24.799 29.046 33.050 36.401 41.287
43.817 49.504 51.305 57.694 58.871
65.849 66.522 73.959 74.262 82.013
82.090
......................................................
2. SLNl - Line to neutral programed P W for single
phase inverters.

N=8. 3.5,7.9,11.13.15Eliminated. at V =1 pu
8.745 20.620 26.350 41.218 44.321
61.905 63.043 89.917

3:1
N=20. 3.5.7.9.11.13.15,17.19.21.23,25,27,29.31
33.35.37.39 Elinlnated. at VL=l pu
4.025 8.658 12.082 17.316 20.152
25.968 28.246 34.614 36.372 43.251
44.540 51.881 52.760 60.507 61.047
69.150 69.427 77.901 77.998 89.993
.......................................................
.2 .4 .6 .0 3. TLNl - Line to neutral programed P W for three-
phase inverters. N is odd and switching
vL angles spread = 90 degrees
(c) N-9. 5.7.11.13,17,19.23.25Eliminated at VL=l pu
- 1

p
5.231 12.763 16.101 24.866 26.897
37.156 38.095 69.858 70.116
. 4 4
N=21. 5.7,11,13,17.19,23,25,29.31,35,37,41,43,47
49.53.55,59,61Eliminated at V i 1 pu
2.559 5.597 7.750 11.123 12.904
16.652 18.08 22.177 23.290 27.698
28.530 33.222 33.810 38.760 39.144
44.335 44.560 50.029 50.136 63.740
63.783

0 .'6 4. TLNZ - Line to neutral programmed P W for three

phase inverters. N is even and switching
angles spread = 60 degrees.
(4
.85 N=8. Eliminated at V,=l pu
5.7,11.13,17,19,23
L -
6.734 11.382 20.386 23.170 34.157
35.460 48.349 48.702

N=20. 5.7.11.13.17,19.23.25.29.31.35.37.41,41,43.47
.36 49.53.55.59 Eliminated at VL=l pu
.25
.1 2.859 5.301 8.618 10.645 14.393
16.031 20.179 21.459 25.974 26.933
Fnd D1 D2 D3 31.779 32.459 37.603 38.049 43.469
43.728 49.455 49.580 55.956 56.004
D1-3N+1 D2-3N+5 D3-3N+7
(e)
Fig. A5. TLL programmed PWM. (a) Line-to-line PWM waveform. (b) S. TLL - Line to line programed P W far three phase
Solution trajectories for N = 6, (to eliminate 5 , 7, 13, 17 harmonics, inverters. N is even and switching angles
D I = 19). (c) Solution trajectories for N = 8, (to eliminate 5 , 7, 11, 13, spread = 60 degrees.
17, 19, 23 harmonics, D I = 25). (d) General variation of the first three N-6. 5.7.11.13,17 Eliminated at VL=0.85 pu
significant harmonics V L. (e) Generalized frequency spectrum of V L.
14.934 19.126 30.117 38.312 45.833
57.621

N-20. 5,7,11.13,17,19.23.2S.29.31,35,37,41.43,47
49.53,55.59 Ellminated at VL=0.85 pu
5.441 5.918 10.886 11.836 16.339
17.755 21.806 23.675 27.289 29.598
32.795 35.523 38.326 41.451 43.887
47.383 49.483 53.316 55.112 59.239

Fig. B1.
316 IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON INDUSTRY APPLICATIONS, VOL. 26, NO. 2, MARCHiAPRlL 1990

REFERENCES Phoivos D. Ziogas (S’75-M’78-SM’89) received

I Takahashi and H. Mochikawa. “A new control of PWM inverter the B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees from the Uni-
waveform for minimum loss operation of an induction motor drive,” versity of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada, in 1973,
IEEE Trans. Ind. Appl., vol. IA-21, no. 4, pp. 580-587, May/June 1974, and 1978, respectively.
Since 1978 he has been with the Department of
1985.
Electrical Engineering, Concordia University, Mon-
F. C. Zach, R. Martinez, S. Keplinger, and A. Selser, “Dynamically
treal, PQ, Canada, where he is engaged in teaching
optimal switching patterns for PWM inverter drives (for minimization
and research in the area of static power converters.
of torque and speed ripple),” IEEE Trans. Ind. Appl , vol IA-21,
He has also participated as consultant in several in-
NO 4, pp. 975-986, July/Aug 1985.
dustrial projects.
H. S Patel and R. G. Hoft, “Generalized technique of harmonic elim-
ination and voltage control in thyristor inverters. Part I harmonic elim-
ination,” IEEE Trans. Ind. Appl., vol. IA-9, no. 3, pp. 310-317,
May/June 1973.
G. S Buja and G. B. Indri, “Optimal pulsewidth modulation for feed-
ing ac motors,” IEEE Trans. Ind. Appl., vol. IA-13, no. 1, pp. 38-
44,Jan./Feb. 1977.
G A. Goodarzi and R. G. Hoft, “GTO inverter optimal PWM
waveforms,” in Conf. Rec. IEEE IAS Annual Meeting, 1987, pp James F. Lindsay (M’67-SM’78) was born in
Glasgow, Scotland, in 1932. He received the
312-316.
B.Sc. degree with honors in electrical engineering
P. Enjeti and J. F. Lindsay, “Solving nonlinear equations of harmonic
from Glasgow University in 1954 and the Ph.D.
elimination PWM in power control,” IEE Electronics Letters, vol
23, no. 12, June 4, 1987, pp 656-657. from McGill University, Montreal, PQ, Canada, in
1973.
P. Enjeti, P. D. Ziogas, J. F. Lindsay, and M. H. Rashid, “A new
He has held positions with the Belmos Company
PWM speed control system for high performance ac motor drives,” in
Ltd., Scotland, from 1954 to 1956, the Royal Mil-
Conf Rec. IEEE IAS Annual Meeting, 1987, pp. 303-31 1.
itary College of Science, England, from 1956 to

Prasad N. Enjeti (M’88) received the M.Tech de-

gree from Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur,
India in 1982 and Ph.D degree from Concordia
University, Montreal, PQ, Canada, in 1987, all in
electrical engineering.
He is currently an Assistant Professor in the
Department of Electrical Engineering at the Texas
A&M University, College Station, TX, and is en-
gaged In teaching, research, and consulting in the
area of power electronics
-
1958. and Nova Scotia Technical College, Canada.
from 1958 to 1965 prior to his current appointment
at Concordia University, Montreal, where he is a Professor in the Department
of Electrical Engineering. His research activities are in the area of machines
and motor drive systems and he is a coauthor of two undergraduate text
books He has received two IEEE awards for IAS papers, one for a Confer-
ence paper, and the other for Best Transactions paper
Dr. Lindsay is a Fellow of the Institution of Electrical Engineers, a Fellow
of the Engineering Institute of Canada, a Member of the Canadian Society
for Electrical Engineering, and he is registered as an Engineer with the Order
of Engineers of Quebec