A Fundamental Frequency Switching Based Method for Minimizing Total Harmonic

Distortion of a Multilevel Inverter

Background equations for minimizing total harmonic distortion of step voltage waveforms
The total harmonic distortion, 𝑇𝐻𝐷, in term of the root-mean-square voltages of the fundamental
component, 𝑢, and the step voltage waveform, 𝑣, is given by
𝑣2
𝑇𝐻𝐷 2 = −1 1
𝑢2

𝑢 and 𝑣 in term of voltage levels, 𝑉1 , 𝑉2 , … , 𝑉𝑛−1 , 𝑉𝑛 , and switching angles 𝜃1 , 𝜃2 , … , 𝜃𝑛−1 , 𝜃𝑛 are

2
𝑉12 (𝜃2 − 𝜃1 ) + 𝑉22 (𝜃3 − 𝜃2 ) + ⋯ + 𝑉𝑛−1
2 (𝜃 2
𝑛 − 𝜃𝑛−1 ) + 𝑉𝑛 (0.5𝜋 − 𝜃𝑛 )
𝑣 = 2
2𝜋

4
𝑢=− (𝑉1 [cos 𝜃2 − cos 𝜃1 ] + 𝑉2 [cos 𝜃3 − cos 𝜃2 ] + ⋯ + 𝑉𝑛−1 [cos 𝜃𝑛 − cos 𝜃𝑛−1 ]
𝜋√2
− 𝑉𝑛 cos 𝜃𝑛 ) 3
Differentiating (1) we have
2𝑣 𝑣2
2𝑇𝐻𝐷𝜕𝑇𝐻𝐷 = 2 𝜕𝑣 − 2 3 𝜕𝑢 4
𝑢 𝑢
If (4) is differentiated with respect to voltage level and switching angle, we have
𝜕𝑇𝐻𝐷 2𝑣 𝜕𝑣 𝑣 2 𝜕𝑢
2𝑇𝐻𝐷 = 2 −2 3 5
𝜕𝑉𝑟 𝑢 𝜕𝑉𝑟 𝑢 𝜕𝑉𝑟
𝜕𝑇𝐻𝐷 2𝑣 𝜕𝑣 𝑣 2 𝜕𝑢
2𝑇𝐻𝐷 = 2 −2 3 6
𝜕𝜃𝑟 𝑢 𝜕𝜃𝑟 𝑢 𝜕𝜃𝑟
Minimizing 𝑇𝐻𝐷 gives
2𝑣 𝜕𝑣 𝑣 2 𝜕𝑢 𝜕𝑣 𝑣 𝜕𝑢
2
−2 3 = 0 𝑜𝑟 = 7
𝑢 𝜕𝑉𝑟 𝑢 𝜕𝑉𝑟 𝜕𝑉𝑟 𝑢 𝜕𝑉𝑟
𝜕𝑣 𝑣 𝜕𝑢
= 8
𝜕𝜃𝑟 𝑢 𝜕𝜃𝑟
Thus differentiating (2) and (3) with respect to 𝜃1 , 𝜃2 , … , 𝜃𝑛−1 , 𝜃𝑛 yields
𝑉1 𝑉1 + 𝑉2 𝑉𝑛−1 + 𝑉𝑛 4 𝑣2
= =⋯= = 9
sin 𝜃1 sin 𝜃2 sin 𝜃𝑛 √2 𝑢
Also, differentiating (2) and (3) with respect to 𝑉1 , 𝑉2 , … , 𝑉𝑛−1 , 𝑉𝑛 yields
𝑉1 (𝜃2 − 𝜃1 ) 𝑉2 (𝜃3 − 𝜃2 ) 𝑉𝑛−1 (𝜃𝑛 − 𝜃𝑛−1 ) 𝑉𝑛 (0.5𝜋 − 𝜃𝑛 ) 2 𝑣2
= =⋯= = = 10
cos 𝜃1 − cos 𝜃2 cos 𝜃2 − cos 𝜃3 cos 𝜃𝑛−1 − cos 𝜃𝑛 cos 𝜃𝑛 √2 𝑢

(9) and (10) are therefore enough to find the switching angles and voltage levels that minimize

total harmonic distortion.

Minimizing the THD of a 5-level waveform

Combining (9) and (10) we have
𝑉1 𝑉1 + 𝑉2 2𝑉1 (𝜃2 − 𝜃1 ) 2𝑉2 (0.5𝜋 − 𝜃2 ) 4 𝑣2
= = = = 11
sin 𝜃1 sin 𝜃2 cos 𝜃1 − cos 𝜃2 cos 𝜃2 √2 𝑢
If 𝑉2 = 𝐶2 𝑉1 , (11) then becomes
1 1 + 𝐶2 2(𝜃2 − 𝜃1 ) 2𝐶2 (0.5𝜋 − 𝜃2 ) 4 𝑣2
= = = = =𝐾 12
sin 𝜃1 sin 𝜃2 cos 𝜃1 − cos 𝜃2 cos 𝜃2 √2 𝑢𝑉1

Hence 𝜃1 , 𝜃2 , 𝐶2 and 𝐾 can be calculated from (12)

Minimizing the THD of a 7-level waveform

Combining (9) and (10) we have
𝑉1 𝑉1 + 𝑉2 𝑉2 + 𝑉3 2𝑉1 (𝜃2 − 𝜃1 ) 2𝑉2 (𝜃3 − 𝜃2 ) 2𝑉3 (0.5𝜋 − 𝜃3 )
= = = = =
sin 𝜃1 sin 𝜃2 sin 𝜃3 cos 𝜃1 − cos 𝜃2 cos 𝜃2 − cos 𝜃3 cos 𝜃3
4 𝑣2
= 13
√2 𝑢
If 𝑉2 = 𝐶2 𝑉1 , 𝑉3 = 𝐶3 𝑉1 , (13) then becomes
1 1 + 𝐶2 𝐶2 + 𝐶3 2(𝜃2 − 𝜃1 ) 2𝐶2 (𝜃3 − 𝜃2 ) 2𝐶3 (0.5𝜋 − 𝜃3 ) 4 𝑣2
= = = = = =
sin 𝜃1 sin 𝜃2 sin 𝜃3 cos 𝜃1 − cos 𝜃2 cos 𝜃2 − cos 𝜃3 cos 𝜃3 √2 𝑢𝑉1
=𝐾 14
Hence 𝜃1 , 𝜃2 , 𝜃3 , 𝐶2 , 𝐶3 and 𝐾 can be calculated from (14)