Vector-optimised harmonic elimination for single-phase pulse-width modulation inverters/converters

A new approach for calculating single-phase inverters/converters-optimised pulsewidth modulation (PWM) switching angles for harmonic and voltage control is proposed. This approach takes into account the DC-link voltage ripple, due to the finite DC-link capacitance, in the optimised switching-angles calculation, using its harmonic content. New expressions for the evaluation of the PWM waveform harmonic spectrum are derived. Output voltage quarter-wave symmetry is thus not assumed and the pulse position is no longer fixed, resulting in two simultaneous sets of nonlinear equations in twice as many unknowns as in the case of conventional-optimised PWM strategy with smooth DC input/output voltage. The performance of this latter technique is hence retained while the size of the DC-link capacitor is reduced to a limit depending on the filter capacitance, the number of pulses per half modulation period and the modulation depth. The compensation of the reactive power (exchanged between the AC source/AC load and the DC link due to the rectifying/inverting process and the low-link capacitance) is also included; the converter then plays the additional role of an active power filter. Simulation examples and experimental results are used to validate the proposed method.