Comparison of 3D-SVPWM and Carrier-Based PWM of Three-Phase

Four-Leg Voltage Source Inverter

Tomáš Glasberger, Zdeněk Peroutka, Jan Molnár

UNIVERSITY OF WEST BOHEMIA/FACULTY OF ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING
Univerzitní 8
Plzeň, Czech Republic
Tel.: +420 / 377 634 442, +420 / 377 634 443, +420 / 377 634 441
Fax: +420 / 377634402
E-mail: tglasber@kev.zcu.cz , peroutka@ieee.org, jmolnar@kev.zcu.cz
URL: http://www.fel.zcu.cz

Acknowledgements
This research has been supported by the Foundation for University Development (Ministry of Education
of the Czech Republic) under the project FR VŠ 676/2007/G1.

Keywords
Converter Control, Modulation Strategy, Pulse Width Modulation (PWM), Voltage Source Inverters
(VSI).

Abstract
This paper deals with design of a new control system for a diesel-electric power supply unit, which output
part is composed of a three-phase four-leg voltage source inverter. The main emphasis is given in this
paper on employed modulation techniques. We are introducing two modulation strategies: 1) three-
dimensional space vector PWM (3D-SVPWM) and 2) improved carrier-based PWM (CBPWM), which
employs control of voltage offset via control of the fourth inverter leg. Further, control algorithms
enabling operation of the supply unit under arbitrary load conditions (linear, non-linear, symmetrical,
unsymmetrical etc.) in any case with sinusoidal voltages at the converter output are described. Behaviour
of the designed control system with both 3D-SVPWM and CBPWM strategies has been verified on a
laboratory prototype of the power supply unit with rated power of 18kVA.

Introduction
This contribution has been created as a response to a demand of our industrial partner for the design of a
new power electronic converter for power supply units for both military and civil purposes. The main
request to the supply unit is the operation with different kinds of load – including unsymmetrical and/or
non-linear one and operation without load as well with sinusoidal output voltage. The proposed supply
unit is based on a three-phase four-leg voltage source inverter.
Many interesting papers dealing with modulation strategies and control for multi-phase voltage source
converters can be found in the literature (e.g. [1] – [5]).We have designed and implemented a new control
system using two modulation strategies. There are described these two modulation strategies in the first
part of this paper. In the second part, a new control system is introduced. This control system must enable
operation of the supply unit under arbitrary load conditions. Note that the output part of the supply unit is
composed of a sinusoidal LC filter, which is highly predisposed to capacitor voltage oscillations,
particularly by transient phenomena by change of load conditions. Therefore, the control system, which
enables control of dq0 components of filter capacitor voltages and currents, has been designed. In the last
part of the paper, simulation and experimental results with the laboratory prototype are shown.

Three dimensional space vector pulse width modulation (3D-SVPWM)

There are described several 3D SVPWM strategies in the literature, the published strategies mostly use
the known transformation to the dq0 coordinate system. One of them is described in [4]. That algorithm is
very difficult to implement into a digital signal processor and to use in a real-time system. A different
algorithm is described in [3]. That algorithm does not use the transformation to the dq0 coordinate system,
the space vectors are created directly in coordinate system abc. Values of phase voltages uaf, ubf, ucf
represent vector coordinates. This algorithm is more suitable to implement in a real-time system than the
first one.
Note there are more switching combinations in the four-leg inverter, therefore, more output vectors exist
as well in comparison with a conventional three-phase VSI. The higher number of possible voltage
vectors makes the modulation algorithm more difficult but on the other hand, there are more control
possibilities to get given demand.
Each vector is created from coordinates which correspond with instant values of voltages uaf, ubf, ucf as is
shown in Table I, where sa, sb, sc, sf are switching combinations (1=upper switch is turned on, 0=lower
switch is turned on), uaf, ubf, ucf are normalized inverter output voltages and they represent vector
coordinates in the abc coordinate system at the same time. The scheme of the four-leg three-phase VSI is
shown in Fig.1. The basic output vectors of the inverter create a dodecahedron in coordinate system abc.
The basic space can be represented as two cubes connected in a corner as is shown in Fig. 1.

Table I: Inverter switching possibilities and basic output voltage vectors

V sf sa sb sc uaf ubf ucf V sf sa sb sc uaf ubf ucf
1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 9 1 0 0 0 -1 -1 -1
2 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 10 1 0 0 1 -1 -1 0
3 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 11 1 0 1 0 -1 0 -1
4 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 12 1 0 1 1 -1 0 0
5 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 13 1 1 0 0 0 -1 -1
6 0 1 0 1 1 0 1 14 1 1 0 1 0 -1 0
7 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 15 1 1 1 0 0 0 -1
8 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 16 1 1 1 1 0 0 0

The dodecahedron can be divided in 24 linear independent subspaces called regions as is shown in
Table II. Each of them is bounded with three basic vectors. RP means number of region and V1*, V2*,
V3* are vectors that create given region. An arbitrary output voltage vector can be obtained as switching
sequence of those three vectors and a zero vector.

Table II: Regions (RP) and corresponding basic vectors

*
RP V1 V2* V3* RP V1* V2* V3* RP V1* V2* V3* RP V1* V2* V3*
1 V9 V10 V12 7 V2 V6 V14 13 V3 V7 V15 19 V9 V13 V14
2 V2 V10 V12 8 V2 V6 V8 14 V3 V7 V8 20 V5 V13 V14
3 V2 V4 V12 9 V9 V11 V12 15 V9 V13 V15 21 V5 V6 V14
4 V2 V4 V8 10 V3 V11 V12 16 V5 V13 V15 22 V5 V6 V8
5 V9 V10 V14 11 V3 V4 V12 17 V5 V7 V15 23 V9 V11 V15
6 V2 V10 V14 12 V3 V4 V8 18 V5 V7 V8 24 V3 V11 V15
Fig. 1: The basic output voltage vectors in abc Fig. 2: The configuration of the four-leg three-phase
coordinate system voltage source inverter

Improved carrier based PWM (CBPWM)

Detailed explanation of this algorithm is done in [1]. Basic voltage equations can be written as (1) from
Fig. 2:

vaf = van − vnf

vbf = vbn − vnf , (1)
vcf = vcn − vnf

where vaf, vbf, vcf are line to neutral voltages, van-vcn are pole voltages and vnf is an offset of neutral leg,
which can be controlled and modified similarly to the other legs.
Equations (2) and (3) show maximum achievable output voltage and maximum offset voltage in the
neutral leg in dependence on demanded phase voltages:

−Vdc / 2 ≤ vaf , vbf , vcf ≤ Vdc / 2

(2)
−Vdc / 2 ≤ vnf ≤ Vdc / 2
,
V V
− dc − Vmin ≤ vnf ≤ dc − Vmax (3)
2 2

where Vmin=min(vaf, vbf, vcf), Vmax=max(vaf, vbf, vcf).

The switching times are determined by equations (4), which are common equations for carrier based
PWM:

Ts van
Ta = + .Ts
2 Vdc
Ts vbn
Tb = + .Ts
2 Vdc
Ts vcn
Tc = + .Ts (4)
2 Vdc
Ts vdn
Td = + .Ts
2 Vdc
Ts v fn
Tf = + .Ts
2 Vdc

Proposed control system of four-leg three-phase voltage source converter

The block scheme of the proposed control system is shown in Fig. 3. The power part of the system is
composed of a four-leg three-phase voltage source inverter with a sinusoidal LC filter at the output of the
converter. The control part of the system is composed of filter capacitors voltages and currents
measurements and of the block of PI-controllers. All the measured values are transformed to dq0 (dq0 =
revolving reference frame oriented to the converter output voltage vector) and led as a feedback into
voltage and current PI controllers. Each dq0 component of the voltage or current is controlled separately.

Fig. 3: The configuration of the proposed control system of four-leg three-phase voltage source converter
The control inputs (control commands) are demanded voltages Ucdw, Ucwq, Uc0w as is illustrated in Fig. 3.
The controllers of the voltages on the sinusoidal filter capacitors command the currents via filter
capacitors. It seems that current controllers get the system more complicated; however, they are used as a
stabilizing derivative correction. The output of current controllers defines the required converter voltage =
modulation signals. The position of the revolving reference frame ϑ, which is necessary for the
transformation, is calculated using the demanded supply frequency (fw) – usually 50Hz or 60Hz.

Simulation results
The following figures show simulation results of the output part of proposed power supply unit with the
designed control and with both modulation strategies: SVPWM and CBPWM. The simulations have been
taken under different load conditions, e.g. three-phase and one-phase linear, non-linear, symmetrical and
unsymmetrical kinds of load and no-load conditions as well. The simulation results of the control system
with CBPWM (Fig. 4, Fig. 6 and Fig. 8) have the following parameters: dc-link voltage Vdc=700V,
amplitude of demanded output voltage Vm*=325V and output frequency fw=50 Hz. Voltages on the output
capacitors for symmetrical three phase load are shown in Fig. 4. There is not a difference of a system with
a typical three phase converter. Behaviour of the system under no-load conditions is shown in Fig. 6.
Thanks to the sinusoidal LC filter, the oscillations of the voltages on the output capacitors can occur. It
has to be considered by design of PI-controllers parameters. Behaviour of the system under non-linear
unsymmetrical conditions is shown in Fig. 8. The voltage is distorted but the distortion strongly depends
on controllers parameters. If the gain of the controllers is decreased, the distortion of the voltage
decreases, however, the system dynamics decreases as well. Behaviour of the control system with 3D-
SVPWM strategy is presented in Fig. 5, Fig. 7 and Fig. 9. In these figures you can see improved
behaviour of the output voltage due to corrected parameters (gains) of the PI-controllers as has been
described above.

Fig. 4: Voltages on output capacitors under three Fig. 5: Voltages on output capacitors under three
phase symmetrical load, Vm*=325V, fw=50Hz, phase symmetrical load conditions, Vm*=325V,
CBPWM fw=50Hz, 3D-SVPWM
Fig. 6: Voltages on output capacitors under no-load Fig. 7: Voltages on output capacitors under no-load
conditions, Vm*=325V, fw=50Hz , CBPWM conditions, Vm*=325V, fw=50Hz , 3D-SVPWM

Fig. 8: Voltages on output capacitors under non- Fig. 9: Voltages on output capacitors under non-
linear unsymmetrical load conditions, Vm*=325V, linear unsymmetrical load conditions, Vm*=325V,
fw=50Hz , CBPWM fw=50Hz , 3D-SVPWM

Experimental results
Experimental evidence has been taken on the laboratory prototype of the proposed power supply unit with
rated power of 18kVA. The dc-link voltage has been during the tests reduced to Vdc=210V, because this is
a limit of the given DC voltage source. Amplitude of demanded output voltage has been set to Vm*=100V
and output frequency fw=50 Hz. Experiments has been taken with different load conditions. The kinds of
load have been as follows: symmetrical linear three-phase load, no load and non-linear unsymmetrical
load (single-phase diode rectifier feeding capacitive load). Parameters of the sinusoidal LC filter have
been: L=2mH, C=20µF in each of three phases. The used switching frequency has been of 7 kHz for the
3D-SVPWM and 8 kHz for the CBPWM. There are shown experimental results of the system with
CBPWM in Fig. 10 and Fig. 11. Behaviour of this control system under symmetrical load conditions is
shown in Fig. 10. The properties under non-linear unsymmetrical load conditions are presented in the Fig.
11. The inverter has been supplying a single-phase diode bridge rectifier working into a capacitive load as
is evident from the current waveform. Fig. 12 shows behaviour of the system using SVPWM under non-
linear unsymmetrical load in steady state and Fig. 13 shows behaviour of this system under non-linear
unsymmetrical load (the single-phase diode bridge rectifier).
Our control system enables exact control of dq0 components of the output voltages (and capacitor
currents); the behaviour of these voltages components at the start of the converter with symmetrical load
is shown in Fig. 14. Behaviour of components dq0 of capacitor voltages with unsymmetrical load is
shown in Fig. 15. These results have been obtained using a D/A converter (D/A output voltage 500mV
corresponds with 50 V of capacitor output voltage).

Fig. 10: Start of the converter under linear Fig. 11: Steady-state of the converter under non-
symmetrical three phase load conditions, CBPWM; linear unsymmetrical load conditions, CBPWM;
ch1-ch3: voltage on output filter capacitors ch1-ch3: voltage on output filter capacitors, ch4:
phase current

Fig. 12: Steady-state of the converter under non- Fig. 13: Steady-state of the converter under non-linear
linear unsymmetrical load conditions, 3D- unsymmetrical load conditions, 3D-SVPWM; ch1-
SVPWM; ch1-ch3: voltage on output filter ch3: voltage on output filter capacitors, ch4: phase
capacitors current
Fig. 14: Start of the converter: components dq0 of Fig. 15: Start of the converter: components dq0 of
the output voltage, symmetrical three phase load the output voltage, no-load conditions, SVPWM
conditions, SVPWM (500mV≈50V ⇒ 50V/div), (500mV≈50V ⇒ 50V/div), ch1: ucd, ch2: ucq, ch3:
ch1: ucd, ch2: ucq, ch3: uc0 uc0

Fig. 16: Designed laboratory prototype of the power supply unit: power converter, sinusoidal filter,
measurement sensors and microprocessor board with DSP TI TMS320F2812
Conclusions
This paper describes proposed control of the output part of power supply unit particularly for military
purposes and presents designed laboratory prototype of rated power of 18kVA (see Fig. 16). The proper
function of designed control has been confirmed by simulations and experiments on that prototype. The
main attention has been paid in this paper to the behaviour of the system with different PWM algorithms.
We have implemented two different algorithms – 3D space vector PWM and carrier based PWM and we
have obtained following results:
1) Designed control system fulfills the given requests, it enables control of dq0 components of the output
voltage and, therefore, it makes us possible to operate the power supply unit under arbitrary load
including non-linear and/or unsymmetrical load.
2) Unfortunately the main advantage of designed SVPWM concept, which does not require the
transformation to the dq0 frame, is partially suppressed, because we employ the control in dq0 frame and,
therefore, we cannot skip the transformation from dq0 to abc coordinate system.
3) The SVPWM algorithm achieves results that are comparable with CBPWM, but the SVPWM
algorithm for the four-leg voltage source inverter is more complicated and it spends more computing time
than the CBPWM and it brings problems with implementation to the real-time system.
For our application, we have decided to use the control system with the carrier-based pulse width
modulation since it shows partially better behaviour in different states of the system and with respect to
smaller computing exactingness it can achieve better dynamic response in different states and higher
switching frequency can be used as well.

References
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