Analytical Evaluation of the Total Harmonic Current in Three Phase Voltage

and Current Source Converters

Michael Bierhoff, Friedrich W. Fuchs
Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel
Kaiserstr.2, 24143 Kiel, Germany
Tel. 0049-431-880-6104
mib@tf.uni-kiel.de, fwf@tf.uni-kiel.de
Keywords
Current Source Inverter (CSI), Harmonics, Pulse Width Modulation (PWM), Passive Filter
Abstract
To facilitate the design of ac side filters, this work gives analytical expressions for the root mean square
value of the total harmonic phase currents in voltage and current source converters depending on the
modulation schemes and passive filter components. Novel equations were found for the calculation of
total harmonic phase currents regarding the CSC with LC filter. The results are verified by appropriate
measurements for selected PWM schemes and are valid for most common applications.
Introduction
Apart phase displacement of voltage and current fundamentals power quality considerations can usually
be reduced to the analysis of the phase current trajectory as generated by the power converter. This quality
is commonly measured by the total harmonic distortion factor, THD, or just simply the RMS value of the
harmonic content. When operating a complete converter set up including filter circuitry these properties
are simple to determine by an FFT analyzer. Before operation, to facilitate filter design, current harmonics
to be expected by the intended filter topology or pulse width modulation strategy have to be predicted and
compared with the particular requirements. Usually the choice of the right filter is a trade off between
costs and weight of the filter and the compliance to power quality requirements.
Much work has already been dedicated to this subject, especially the current harmonics of the most
common three phase voltage source converter have been analyzed extensively. There are approaches to
express the total harmonic output current as a function of the modulation index which yield simple
equations for each modulation scheme [1]-[4]. For most applications a negligible error was reported
although these methods only deal with the influence of the inductive load dues on the pulsed converter
voltage based on calculations that are conducted in time domain. More sophisticated attempts utilizing
Fourier transformations [5]-[7] achieve accurate but bulky results which are uncomfortable to use but
comprehensively applicable to all kinds of filter topology. In this paper an extension of the calculation
method in time domain addressing the CSC operated with LC filter is presented. This was realized with
the filter being approximated by two separate consecutive integral operations to simplify the calculation.
Results for different modulation schemes are given and an assessment on the error created by this method
is pointed out. Furthermore measurements were carried out at a CSC test stand to prove the analytical
results.
In the first section of this article the calculation of the pulsed output quantities is concerned and thereby
striking similarities between both converter types are found. The second and third sections are dedicated
to the calculation of the phase ripple current for VSC and CSC respectively. This is followed by
measurement results taken for the CSC with LC filter and a conclusion.
Pulsed output quantities of VSC and CSC
The presented analysis is based on converter and filter circuitry as displayed by figure 1. A fairly high
switching frequency is assumed to permit the following approximations. The calculation methods are
based on quasi continuous considerations. Regarding the harmonic frequencies that would start at a range
around the switching frequency the voltage source converter is considered to be operated in a combination
with an active but solely inductive load only. The current source converter usually is assumed to be
operated with an LC filter also with resistive parts being neglected for the considered frequency range. In
both cases the inductance L
f
constitutes both, filter chokes and load dues. Moreover the dc bus voltage V
d
(VSC) and the dc bus current I
d
(CSC) are assumed to be constant. The complex space vector plane is
utilized to facilitate the calculation of RMS values of the pulsed output values by confining the
corresponding integral boundaries to sections of /3 of one fundamental period due to the well known
symmetry. Figure 2 reveals an exemplary command space vector residing in such a section. The switching
intervals t
V0
+t
V7
, t
V1
and t
V2
are calculated for the VSC as follows in (1). The corresponding formulas for
the CSC are given by (2). Time spans t
V0
and t
V7
from (1) resemble the intervals during which the upper or
lower half bridge of the VSC is shortened respectively. During time spans t
I7
t
I9
from (2) the phase legs
of the CSC are shortened each. All other time periods constitute the switching times for the first and
second active space vector of each sector. At this stage it is important to point out the deviating definitions
of the modulation indices of M
V
= 0..2/3 for the VSC and M
I
= 0..1 for the CSC.
Fig. 1: Power circuit of VSC (top) and CSC (bottom) Fig. 2: Command space vector generation for
VSC (top) and CSC (bottom)
V*

V
2
t
V2
/T
s
.
V
2
=M
V
.
V
d
/2
.
cos(t')
t'
V
2
V
1
t
V1
/T
s
.
V
1
V
2
i
*

I
1
I
2
= -I
1
I
1
= I
2
t
I2
/T
s
.
I
2
I
2
t'
=M
I
.
I
d
.
cos(t')
t
I1
/T
s
.
I
1
V
VL
V
1
V
3
V
5
V
2
V
4
V
6
I
d
i
VL
=i
VConv
V
d
M
V
VConv
L
f
L
d
V
IL
I
d
V
1
V
3
V
5
V
2
V
4
V
6
i
IConv
V
d
i
IL
V
IC
M
L
f
C
f
i
IC
( )
2 1 7 0 2 1
, ' sin
2
3
, '
3
sin
2
3
V V S V V S V V S V V
t t T t t T t M t T t M t = + = |
.
|

\
|
=

(1)
( )
2 1 9 8 7 2 1
, ' sin , '
3
sin
I I S I I I S I I S I I
t t T t t t T t M t T t M t = + + = |
.
|

\
|
=

(2)
With the following terms the overall RMS value of the output quantities can be calculated for the
VSC (3),[4] and CSC (4).
( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) [ ]
3
' ' , ' ,
2
3 ~
3
0
2
2
2
2
2 1
2
1
2
1

V
d V V V V
s
V VConv
M
V t d t M t V V t M t V V
T
M V = + + +

=

(3)
( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) [ ]
2
' ' , ' ,
2
3 ~
6
6
2
2
2
2
2 1
2
1
2
1

I
d I I I I
s
I IConv
M
I t d t M t I I t M t I I
T
M I = + + +

(4)
2
~
,
2 2
~
1 1 d I
IConv
d V
VConv
I M
I
V M
V

=

= (5)
By determining the fundamental components according to (5) and selecting a generalized modulation
index M = M
I
= M
V
.
3/2 = 0..1 a generally valid formula for both converter types regarding the total
harmonic distortion, THD, of output quantities for both converter types can be found (6). Figure 3 shows
the graphical results for the generally valid THD which are independent of the modulation method as long
as linear PWM is applied.
( )
4
1
~
~
~
~
,

M
I
I
V
V
M THD
IConv
IConv
harm
VConv
VConv
harm
I V
= = = (6)
Fig. 3: Generally valid representation of the THD of pulsed output quantities for a VSC and a CSC versus
the modulation index M
0 0,2 1 0,4 0,6 0,8
0,4
0,6
0,8
1
M
THD(M)
Harmonic phase current of the VSC
This section contains an overview of what has been published so far by various other authors. For most
calculations regarding the harmonic content of the VSC phase current the ac side is assumed to comprise
an active load with a purely inductive impedance for the considered frequencies. With this assumption the
ac inductance of the VSC only constitutes an integral element for the pulsed output voltages. The resulting
total harmonic current already has been calculated in the past by many other sources, see for example [1]-
[4]. The phase current harmonics indeed are depending on the modulation strategy and switching
frequency f
s
. Thus table I gives the expressions for the RMS value of the total harmonic current on the ac
side for a selection of modulation waveforms (figures show a modulation index of M
V
= 1/3) along with
a triangular carrier each (symmetrical appearance of pulses within one PWM period). The well known
corresponding graphs are revealed by figure 4.
Table I: RMS value of the total harmonic current for different modulation waveforms
Modulation function Expressions for the RMS harmonic current content
Mod 1
|
|
.
|

\
|
+ = =
2
4
3
3
8
1
384
1 ~ ~
V V
f s
V d
VConv
harm
VL
harm
M M
L f
M V
I I

Mod 2
|
|
.
|

\
|

|
|
.
|

\
|
+ = =
2
4
3 3
1
8
9
3
8
1
384
1 ~ ~
V V
f s
V d
VConv
harm
VL
harm
M M
L f
M V
I I

Mod 3
|
|
.
|

\
|

|
|
.
|

\
|
+ +
+
= =
2
2
3
2
8
9
3
3 15 8
4
384
1 ~ ~
V V
f s
V d
VConv
harm
VL
harm
M M
L f
M V
I I

Mod 4
|
|
.
|

\
|

|
|
.
|

\
|
+ + = =
2
3 4
9
2
8
9
3
35
4
384
1 ~ ~
V V
f s
V d
VConv
harm
VL
harm
M M
L f
M V
I I

Mod 5
|
|
.
|

\
|

|
|
.
|

\
|
+ + = =
2
3 4
9
2
8
9
3
35
4
384
1 ~ ~
V V
f s
V d
VConv
harm
VL
harm
M M
L f
M V
I I

= 0
t
2
0
1
-1
M(t)
0
t
2
0
1
-1
M(t)
0
t
2
0
1
-1
M(t)
0
t
2
0
1
-1
M(t)
0
t
2
0
1
-1
M(t)
0
Fig. 4: RMS value of the total harmonic current for different modulation waveforms generated by a VSC
The simplified assumptions for the corresponding calculations in time domain can be described as a
simple transfer function (7) for considerations in the frequency domain.
f f
VConv
VL
L Z
V
i
= = (7)
Harmonic phase current of the CSC
In this section the current source converter is analyzed in a straight forward manner extending the
approximations mentioned above [1]-[4]. The actual difference to the VSC is constituted by the filter with
an order higher by one. Here the capacitor and inductor circuits will be decoupled for the calculation to
attain rather simple solutions in time domain as a novel approach. In principle the converters equivalent
circuit diagram is split up into two independent ones. The resistive losses of the filter are neglected once
again and the obtained transfer function approximates the original one as the switching frequency to
resonant frequency ratio is increased (8). In this case f
s
denotes the switching frequency, f
res
is the resonant
frequency of the filter, i
IL
is the phase current and i
IConv
indicates the converter output current while L
f
and
C
f
specify the filter inductance and capacitance respectively. The relative error e
rel
caused by this method
regarding the accuracy of the magnitude of any harmonic would be determined by (9). Where denotes
the harmonic order and is the fundamental angular frequency, 2f.
( ) 1 2 for
1
1
1
2
2
2 2
>>
|
|
.
|

\
|
=

=
res
s
f f s
f f f f IConv
IL
f
f
C L f
C L C L i
i

(8)
( )
( )
2
2
1
|
|
.
|

\
|

= =
f
f
C L
e
res
f f
rel

(9)
d
f s
VL
harm
V
L f
I
~
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0 1.15
0
0.02
0.04
M
V
Mod 1
Mod 2
Mod 3
Mod 4
Mod 5
Fig. 5: Evolution of equivalent circuit diagrams for the calculation of the current harmonic content
Initially the capacitor voltage waveform is calculated as all components of the ac side apart of the
capacitor are neglected yielding a problem dual to that of the VSC of a first order integrator. In a second
step of approximation the resulting capacitor voltage is considered ideally impressed when acting upon the
inductor as shown by figure 5. For the CSC different PWM methods can be distinguished by their
switched space vector sequence as presented by table II. Numbers 1 and 2 represent the first and second
active space vector of one sector of 60 degrees of a fundamental period in the complex plane. Zero
denotes any switched zero space vector. Unlike for the VSC, the kind of switched zero space vector does
not influence the phase current or capacitor voltage ripple. Symmetrical distribution of the space vector
portions that are split within one switching period is presumed for Mod 2 - 4, see also table III. Compliant
to [8] the PWM methods for the CSC as observed here are chosen because of their different switching loss
behavior. Mod 1 generates the least switching losses whereas Mod 2 4 are capable to reach these
switching loss values for one specific operating point each only. But in turn they attain less capacitor
voltage ripple and thus less phase current ripple. Table III reveals the influence of the modulation method
for one exemplary switching period on the pulsed output current and the resulting capacitor voltage V
IC
which coincides with the capacitor voltage of phase 1. In this case the first sector of 60 degrees between
space vectors I
1
and I
2
is observed. The appearance of the capacitor voltage V
IC
may vary for Mod 2 - 4
depending on the sector that the instantaneous command current vector is located in.
Table II: Different modulation strategies with
different switched space vector sequence
Fig. 6: Space vector representation of the
harmonics occurring in the pulsed ac current
Denotation Space vector sequence
Mod 1 1 - 2 - 0
Mod 2 1 - 2 - 1 - 0
Mod 3 2 - 1 - 2 - 0
Mod 4 1 - 0 - 2 - 0
L
f
harm
i
IC
C
f
harm
i
IConv
harm
V
IC
C
f
harm
V
IC
harm
i
IL
L
f
harm
i
IL
harm
i
IC
C
f
harm
i
IConv
harm
V
IC
harm
V
IC
harm
V
IC
L
f
harm
i
IL
Approximations
Equivalent Circuits
+
harm
V
IL

I
2
1
i
IConv
I
1
-
1
i
IConv
I
2
-
1
i
IConv
I
3
I
6
I
1
I
II
VI
Table III: Harmonic trajectories for different modulation methods, sector I
Space vector representation of the
capacitor harmonic voltage
Trajectory of the pulsed
output current i
IConv
during an
exemplary switching period
Trajectory of the filter capacitor
harmonic voltage
harm
V
IC
during one exemplary
switching period
The total harmonic capacitor voltage as shown in table III is basically generated by integration of the
instantaneous harmonic output current by the capacitor as depicted in figure 6 for one exemplary
switching period. The coordinate plane has been displaced by the fundamental amplitude to disregard the
fundamental component. Hence there are only three directions for the illustrated vectors but depending on
their switching sequence assigned by the respective modulation method the total outlines of the space
vector diagrams appear differently. The heights of the slopes for the capacitor voltage as given by table

harm
V
IC
(t
,1
)
harm
V
IC
(t
,2
)
harm
V
IC
(t
,3
)
t
I2
t
I1
t
I0
Mod 1
Mod 2
Mod 3
Mod 4

harm
V
IC
(t
,1
)
harm
V
IC
(t
,2
)
harm
V
IC
(t
,3
)
t
I2
t
I1
/2
t
I0
t
I1
/2
harm
V
IC
(t
,4
)

harm
V
IC
(t
,1
)
harm
V
IC
(t
,2
)
harm
V
IC
(t
,4
)
t
I2
/2
t
I1
t
I0 t
I2
/2
harm
V
IC
(t
,3
)
t
t
t
i
IConv1
i
IConv2
i
IConv3
t
t
t
i
IConv1
i
IConv2
i
IConv3
t
t
t
i
IConv1
i
IConv2
i
IConv3
i
IConv1
i
IConv2
i
IConv3
t
t
t

harm
V
IC
(t
,1
)
harm
V
IC
(t
,2
)
harm
V
IC
(t
,3
)
t
I2
t
I1
t
I0
/2
t
I0
/2
harm
V
IC
(t
,4
)
harm
V
IC
t
harm
V
IC
t
III, column 3, can be calculated by (9) for the most simple case which means in total there are two ramps
during one switching period only. This applies for Mod 1 over the total of one fundamental period. The
other three modulation methods encounter two 60-sectors each in which the capacitor voltage exhibits a
trajectory as displayed for Mod 4 in table III. These are the sectors where the capacitor voltage contains
less ripple as for modulation method Mod 1. For these cases (9) has to be adjusted appropriately.
( ) ( ) ( ) t M M t
f C
I
V
I I
s f
d
Mod IC
harm


cos cos
2
1 ,

= (9)
Integration of the capacitor voltage trajectories for the most simple case that is Mod 1 yields an expression
for the RMS value of the ac ripple current
harm

IL
according to (10). All final equations for the different
modulation methods as treated here are compiled in table IV. The derivation for these expressions have to
be done distinctively for each sector in which the capacitor voltage trajectory appears differently to that of
modulation method Mod 1 depending on the modulation method.
( ) ( ) [ ]
( ) [ ]
2
2
3 3
2
) cos( ) cos(
) cos( 1 ) cos(
30
1
) (
(

+ =
t t M M
t M t M t A
I I
I I


( ) ( ) [ ]
( ) [ ]
2
2
2 2
2
) cos( ) cos(
) cos( 1 ) cos(
6
1
) (
(

=
t t M M
t M t M t B
I I
I I


[ ]

=
2
2
2
) ( ) (
~

t d t B t A
f L C
I
I
s f f
d
IL
harm
(10)
Table IV: RMS value of the total harmonic current for different modulation methods
Modulation Expressions for the RMS harmonic current content
Mod 1 |
.
|

\
|
+

=
4 3 2
2
25 . 0
56 . 2
75 . 0 2 . 0
288
1 ~
I I I
s f f
I d
IL
harm
M M M
f L C
M I
I

Mod 2
Mod 3
|
|
|
|
|
|
.
|

\
|
|
|
.
|

\
|
+ +
|
|
.
|

\
|
+

=
4 3
2
2
3 25 . 20
34
88 . 430
3 36
96 6 . 25
36864
1 ~
I I
I
s f f
I d
IL
harm
M M
M
f L C
M I
I

Mod 4
|
|
|
|
|
|
.
|

\
|
|
|
.
|

\
|
+ +
|
|
.
|

\
|
+

=
4 3
2
2
17
3 25 . 20 84 . 67
72
3 90 3 24
8 . 20
18432
1 ~
I I
I
s f f
I d
IL
harm
M M
M
f L C
M I
I


Fig. 7: Measured RMS ripple current content versus modulation index
In figure 7 the calculated and standardized values of the harmonic current content
harm

IL
is given versus
the modulation index M
I
by the solid lines. Mod 5 represents the modulation method with the least ripple
current but at the same time executing the most switching operations increasing the number of switching
operations by one compared to Mod 2 - 4. Compliant to table II it would constitute a space vector
sequence like 1,2,0,2,1,0 and the alignment of the space vector portions again would be symmetrically
arranged over one switching period. The resulting graph in figure 7 was calculated numerically.
Experimental results
The provided measurement results do not account for the VSC as such can be found in the literature [4].
Measurements of the total harmonic current where taken from an IGBT 22kW/400V three phase current
source converter operated with modulation methods Mod 1, 2, 3 and Mod 5 since the pulse width
modulator that was used, yet is not capable of generating Mod 4. The dc current was set to I
d
= 10 A for
all measurements. The three phase ac side only consists of an LC-filter (L
f
= 3.5mH, C
f
= 48F). The
switching (carrier) frequency was set to f
s
= 3kHz. The converters phase current was measured by a
current probe at steady state operation. Measurement values were sampled and plotted with an ONO
SOKKI CF-5120 FFT analyzer. The data evaluation including an Fourier analysis was done using
Matlab
TM
. The experimental results are represented by differently shaped dots in figure 7.
Conclusion
Filter design is a crucial part of power converter application. Expected current distortions have to be
determined in advance to assess the performance of any suggested filter or modulation method. The well
known expressions of the total harmonic current of a VSC are presented in a review. For the CSC a novel
and easy to handle method has been developed in a similar manner. The presented approach yields simple
functions of the modulation index M
I
for the RMS value of the total harmonic current on the ac side of an
CSC with LC filter. Thereby four different modulation schemes have been addressed. A high pulse rate
(>20) and a sufficiently high switching frequency to resonant frequency ratio (>>1) of the LC filter
provided, the error generated by this method is negligible which holds true for most applications.
Measurements have been carried out to prove the figured analytical results.
0
0,002
0,004
0,006
0,008
0,01
0 0,2 0,4 0,6 0,8 1
M
I
d
s f f
IL
harm
I
f C L
I
2
~
Mod 1
Mod 2
Mod 3
Mod 5
Mod 4
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