One-Dimensional Spectral Analysis of Complex PWM Waveforms Using Superposition

This paper takes a new look at the mechanisms underlying the double-edge pulse-width modulation (PWM) process. It presents a novel way of deriving equations for the spectrum of double-edge PWM using basic mathematical techniques. In the process the underlying nonlinearities that generate the PWM sidebands are identified. Unlike the classical double Fourier series approach, the proposed method of deriving the PWM spectrum does not require the construction of the so-called unit cell. The interaction between this new model of the pulse-width modulator and the regular sampling process is studied, and generalized equations for the Fourier transforms of regularly sampled PWM waveforms are derived. A general solution to the important question of what happens to the PWM spectrum when the PWM reference consists of a summation of signals is presented. It is shown that the addition of reference signals in the time domain results in a double convolution of the PWM sidebands in the frequency domain. As an application of this result, it is shown how new analytic equations for the harmonics of third-harmonic injection PWM and space vector modulation can easily be derived. Finally, the new theoretical results are benchmarked against results from the well-established double Fourier series method.