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Selective harmonic eliminated pulse-width modulation technique (SHE PWM)

applied to three-level inverter/converter

Conference Paper · July 2003

DOI: 10.1109/ISIE.2003.1267980 · Source: IEEE Xplore

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 Selective Harmonic Eliminated Pulse-Width Modulation Technique
(SHE PWM) applied to Three-level Inverter / Converter
Y. SAHALI1, M. K. FELLAH2
Intelligent Control & Electrical Power System Laboratory, University Djillali Liabes , Sidi-Bel-Abbes, Algeria
1 2
email : ya_sahali@yahoo.fr
Abstract—The main interest of this study has been granted
to the selective harmonic eliminated pulse width modulation
technique, SHE PWM, for the control of single- phase and
three-phase full-bridge three-level inverters. This study will be
makes for any angle number (even or odd) of switches com-
posed the inverter, for purpose of comparison with the results
found for only odd number. We explain the resolution method
procedure of the nonlinear equation systems in order to
achieve the appropriate switching angles. The method of ob-
taining the best starting point is also described to overcome
the problem of the choice of these points which is one of most
difficult tasks associated with the SHE PWM. Finally we will
validate the obtained results through some simulations by us-
ing MATLAB package.
Index Terms— Multilevel inverter (VSIs), three-level in-
verter, full-bridge inverter, PWM, selective harmonic elimina-
tion technique.
I. INTRODUCTION
Since several years, we attend a renewed interest for the
multilevel techniques study and especially « multilevel in-
verters » [1, 2, 3].
These techniques which constitutes a relatively recent
research area, still demand and require more developments
and optimization in point of view command.
Several controls are used in order to improve the output
signals of these converters.
Among these controls, one notes those so-called “Selec-
tive harmonic eliminated pulse width modulation SHE
PWM or Programmed-PWM method” and whose one
makes the object of the present paper. These controls con-
sist to calculate the switching instants of the devices in or-
der to satisfy certain criteria carrying on the spectrum fre-
quency of the wave delivered by the inverter [4]. These se-
quences of operation are then memorized and are restored
cyclically to assure the control of switches [4].
The criteria ordinarily retained:
• Eliminating harmonics of specified order ;
• Eliminating harmonics in a band of specified fre-
quencies.
II. PRINCIPLE OF THE MEHOD
This pulse width modulation technique is very important
and efficient method, which is widely used in control of the
conventional VSIs, in order to improve much more their
output voltages quality, will be applied to control a three-
level inverter. It consists in forming the output wave
0-7803-7912-8/03/$17.00 © 2003 IEEE
e-mail: mkfellah@yahoo.fr
form inverter of a succession of variable width crenels, i.e.
chopping the output waveform C times per quarter-cycle
[2,5].
Generally, one uses a periodic waveform with quarter-
wave symmetry, whose amplitude equals U (unit ampli-
tude).
This wave is characterized by the number of pulses
(chops or crenels by alternation), C .
Whether C is odd or even, C angles are necessary to
determine the width of the whole pulses. C represent also
the number of switching angles per quarter-cycle. These
switching angles are given in such way to eliminate specific
harmonics and to improve the output voltage THD . In the
present study we were interested to eliminate the low-order
harmonics (3, 5, 7, 9, 11,… for the single-phase system and
5, 7, 11, 13, 17,… for the three-phase system) which are
most undesirable for the loads such as the electric motors.
Fig. 1 illustrates an example of a generalized three- level
SHE PWM waveform generated either by full bridge sin-
gle- phase inverter (Fig. 2) or by three-phase inverter (used
three full bridge single-phase inverters, Fig. 3).
Because of the odd quarter-wave symmetry property of
this waveform, the Fourier series will be simplified and the
study will be limited only to the quarter-cycle.
The Fourier series decomposition, that show only the
existence of odd harmonic components [6, 7, 8], is given
by:
∞
U ′ ( ωt ) = ∑ an Sin (nωt ) (1)
n=1
π2
4
where an =
π ∫ U ′(ωt ) sin(nωt ) dωt (2)
0
After integration and some calculations, an algebraic
non linear equations system is obtained. This system sug-
gests and admits a possibility of multiple solutions.
The Newton-Raphson iteration method is usually em-
ployed to solve such system, which becomes by let
(α = ωt ) :
 U′
Pulses

+U

π/2 π 2π
0
α1 α2 … αC αC+1 … α2C
ωt

−U

Fig. 1 Generalized three-level SHE PWM waveform.

+ K1 K2
A
This system, which comprises an additional degree of
U Fig. 2 Single-phase full-bridge freedom in order to control the amplitude of the fundamen-
U′ inverter.
B tal-frequency component, permits to eliminate C − 1 har-
K1′ K 2′ monics from the output voltage. It thus becomes:

π
Cos (α1 ) − Cos (α 2 ) + K ± Cos (α C ) = M
Phase a Phase b Phase c 4
M (4)
Sp Sp Sp Cos (nα1) − Cos (nα 2 ) + K ± Cos (nαC ) = 0
F F F
B B B
h1
where M = is the modulation index.
U

N The required solution must satisfy the following condi-

tion:
where Sp FB is a Single-phase full bridge inverter
π
Fig. 3 Schematic diagram of three-phase three-level inverter α1 < α 2 < L < α C < (5)
connected in Wye configuration 2

III. ALGORITHM OF NEWTON’S METHOD [5]

π
Cos (α1 ) − Cos (α 2 ) + K ± Cos (α C ) = h1
4U The resolution of our nonlinear equations system in or-
M (3) der to find the appropriated switching angles is done by
nπ implementation of algorithm of the Newton-Raphson
Cos (nα1) − Cos (nα 2 ) + K ± Cos (nαC ) = hn method. This algorithm is characterized by following steps:
4U
1) Propose a set of initial values for α :
where

[ ]
n is the odd harmonic order (single-phase system) T
and odd different from three and from its mul- α j = α1 j , α 2 j , K , α C j (6)
tiples (three-phase system).
α i is switching angles. with j = 0
hi is the amplitudes of the odd harmonic compo-
nents of the output voltage U ′ ( i = 3, 5, L ). 2) Calculate the value of:
h1 is the amplitude of the fundamental component
F (α j ) = F j (7)
of this output voltage U ′
U is the amplitude of the dc source (dc voltage where
supply). F is the condensed vector format of the non linear
equations system (4).
 3) Linearize equation (7) about α j : where
E ang is the angular gap, and

 ∂f 
j π (11)
F j +   dα j = H (8) E ang = for (C = 2, 3, 4, L)
 ∂α  C +1
where
C is the number of switching angles.
H is the amplitude of the harmonic components.

f is the functions connecting harmonics with For the three-phase system (Fig. 5):
switching angles.
and
 ∂f1 ∂f1 ∂f1  π2
 ∂α K 
∂α 2 ∂α C
 1  E ang

Switching angles (o)

 ∂f 
j  ∂f 2 ∂f 2
K
∂f 2 
 ∂α  =  ∂α1 ∂α 2 ∂α C 
   M  Fig. 5 Switching angle
M O M E ang
 ∂f ∂f C ∂f C  trajectories as a function
 C K  of modulation index
 ∂α1 ∂α 2 ∂α C 
M
[
dα j = dα1 j dα 2 j K dα C ]
j T
0
Modulation index
j
4) Solve dα from equation (8) by :
2π
j where E ang = for (C = 3, 5, 7, L) (12)
 ∂f  3 (C + 1)
dα = INV   ( H − F j )
j
(9)
 ∂α 
where IV. SIMULATION
j j
 ∂f   ∂f  To verify our study, MATLAB is used as a program-
INV   is the inverse matrix of   .
 ∂α   ∂α  ming and simulation tool. Firstly and after execution of the
programs some results giving the variations of the switch-
5) Change the initial values of each step by : ing angles as function of modulation index are shown in
Fig. 6 for the single-phase system and in Fig. 7, Fig. 8 for
α j +1 = α j + dα j (10) the three-phase system.
For simulation three-level inverters fed by a 156V
6) Repeat the process, equation (7) to equation (10) source are employed to generate 110Vrms-50Hz output
phase voltage. The simulated waveforms are the SHE
until dα j satisfied the desired degree of accuracy. PWM three-level waveforms with different switching an-
gles.
Since the major problem of Newton’s method is the The example of a 9-switching angle SHE PWM wave-
knowledge of starting points of switching angles, we will form generated by the three-phase three-level inverter is
give here and as an example a guide of choice of these val- shown in Fig. 9
ues (Fig. 4 and Fig. 5). After several simulations and an analysis of the found
results we make the following observations:
For the single-phase system (Fig. 4):
• Generally and moving off the 2-switching angles
π2 waveform, the output voltage THD is inversely
proportional to the modulation index (Fig. 10) ;
M • Increasing the number of switching angles does
Switching angles (o)

not necessarily decrease the voltage THD of the

three-level inverter, since the total harmonic dis-
Fig. 4 Switching angle
E ang trajectories as a function tortion THD of the three-level inverter using
of modulation index SHE PWM varies in an arbitrary manner as func-
tion of the number of switching angles per quar-
E ang ter-cycle (Fig. 10).

0 These results confirms very well those found in [5] for

Modulation index only odd number of switching angles.
 C=2

C =5

Fig. 6 Range of switching angles as a function of modulation index : single-phase system

( C is even or odd number).

C=2

C =8

Fig. 7 Range of switching angles as a function of modulation index: three-phase system

( C is even number)
Switching
angles (o)

Modulation
index
 C =3

C =9

Fig. 8 Range of switching angles as a function of modulation index : three-phase system

( C is odd number).

400

250 Fundamental: 270.2 V

200
Total harmonic dis-
tortion THD %.

0 150

-200
50 29th ha: 21.48 V

-400
0 10 20 30 40
Fig. 9 The 9-switching angles SHE PWM waveform and his fre-
quency spectrum, THD = 36.69 % Modulation index

Fig. 10 Maximum value of modulation index as function of the num-

ber of switching angles
Other founded remarks are counted by the following
points:

A. Maximum Value of the modulation index

Odd
ªCase of three-phase system : Concerning the maxi- number
mum modulation index value as function of the number of
Maximum value of

switching angles, we notes, from the founded solutions (in

modulation index

addition to that of 16- switching angle) and from Fig. 11, Even
that this parameter changes in an arbitrary manner if the number
number angles is even. On the other hand, it tends to be
constant and stable in the contrary case (odd case, Fig. 11).
Thus it is better to choose the solutions with an odd num-
ber.

ªCase of single-phase system: for this case the problem Number of switching angles
does not arise any more because the maximum modulation
Fig. 11 Maximum value of modulation index as function of the num-
index remains generally constant whatever the parity of the
ber of switching angles
number angles (odd or even).
B. Choice between solutions
In the majority of the cases, several adequate solutions
have to be obtained in order to eliminate the same harmon-
ics from the output voltage inverter (Fig. 12). It is the rea-
son for which and until these last years, we needed to cal-
culate the total harmonic distortion value, which is chosen
as criteria of the performance harmonic, for the different
solutions for purpose of comparison. The final solution and
which must be adopted is that presenting the low value, i.e.
presenting the minimum harmonic content. Currently, it is
necessary to have a compromise between this value and the
value of the first remaining harmonic that is not cancelled.
Fig. 12 Two solutions for eliminating 5th harmonic of the output voltage
Remark— It exist another method called « Resulting the-
ory » for the determination of switching angles, whose ad-
vantage dwell in the fact that the lowest remaining harmon-
ics have the reduced amplitudes compared to that cited in
this paper. This method, that made the object of another
study in our research group, will be published subsequently
and compared with the precedent method.
V. CONCLUSION
This study permitted us to well understand the principle
of an alternative control among several existing alternative
techniques to ensure the control of the three-level inverter
devices.
Since each pulse-width modulation technique presents
advantages and inconveniences, and the selection depends
on given performance specifications, one notes that the Se-
lective Harmonic Eliminated technique SHE PWM is char-
acterized by the three following advantages:
- The command instants of the devices that are pre-
viously known ;
- It permits to selecting the undesirable and un-
wanted harmonics which can be eliminated.
- It also permits to control the amplitude of the fun-
damental-frequency component.
This improves the efficiency of the inverter-load associa-
tion by reducing the torque ripple, for instance, in the ad-
justable speed drives applications.
The main inconvenience of the applied Newton’s tech-
nique for the resolution of non linear equation systems as-
sociated with this technique resides in the choice difficulty
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of the initial values of switching angles. It is the reason for
which this paper comes to contribute to give a choice guide
of these values of some solutions.
At the beginning of control development using a pro-
grammed-PWM method, one worried to determine se-
quence orders (sequences of control) that eliminate the
lowest harmonic components from the output voltage be-
cause that facilitates filtering (harmonics to filter will be
shifted to higher frequency). Now the application is taken
into consideration, on seek, for example, to minimize the
total harmonic distortion, which is an extension to the pre-
sent work. It is deserved to be also another axis of research
in our laboratory to try to complete works on three-level
inverters and whose results indicates that the harmonic dis-
tortion is significantly reduced. These results will be pub-
lished subsequently.
VI. RERERENCES
[1] L. M. Tolbert, F. Z. Peng et T. G. Habetler, « Multilevel Converters for
Large Electric Drives » IEEE Transactions on Industry Applications,
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[2] G.Seiguier, F.Labrique et R.Baussière, « Les convertisseurs de l'élec-
tronique de puissance » T. 4 second edition Tec and Doc 1995.
[3] A. NABAE, I. TAKAHASHI et H. AKAGI, « A New Neutral-Point-
Clamped PWM Inverter » IEEE Transactions on Industry Applica-
tions, Vol.IA-17, No.5, September/October 1981.
[4] G. Grellet, G. Clearc, « Actionneurs électriques » Edition 2000.
[5] S.Sirisukprasert, « Optimized Harmonic Stepped-Waveform for Multi-
level Inverter » Master thesis 1999 at Virginia Polytechnic Institute
[6] H.S.Patel, R.G.Hoft, « Generalized Techniques of Harmonic Elimina-
tion and Voltage Control in Thyristor Inverters: Part II – Voltage
Control Techniques » IEEE Transactions on Industry Applications,
Vol.1A-10, No.5, September/October 1974
[7] H.L.Liu, G.H.Cho et S.S.Park, « Optimal PWM Design for High Power
Three-Level Inverter Through Comparative Studies » IEEE Trans-
actions On Power Electronics, Vol.10, No.1, January1995.
[8] P.N. Enjeti et R. Jakkli, « Optimal Power Control Strategies for Neutral
Point Clamped (NPC) Inverter Topology » IEEE Transactions on
Industry Applications, Vol.28, No.3, May/June 1992.
Y. SAHALI was born in Sidi-bel-Abbes, Algeria. She received the Eng.
degree in Electro technical engineering from the Djillali LIABES Univer-
sity of Sidi-Bel-Abbes, Algeria. She is currently working the Master de-
gree. She is a member of the Intelligent Control and Electrical Power Sys-
tems Laboratory at this University.
M. K. FELLAH was born in Oran, Algeria, in 1963. He received the Eng.
degree in Electrical Engineering from University of Sciences and Technol-
ogy, Oran, Algeria, in 1986, and The Ph.D. degree from National Poly-
technic Institute of Lorraine (Nancy, France) in 1991.
Since 1992, he is Professor at the University of Sidi-bel-Abbes (Algeria)
and Director of the Intelligent Control and Electrical Power Systems Labo-
ratory at this University. His current research interest includes Power Elec-
tronics, HVDC links, and Drives.