Harmonic Analysis and Filter Design for Medium-Voltage Multilevel PWM Inverters

Wang Yi, Li Heming, Shi Xinchun, Zhu Ling

Department of Electrical Engineering, North China Electric Power Ilniversity, China level and cells cascaded multi-level voltage-source PWM inverters are more popular in the medium-voltage ASD ranges. Their output voltage is multilevel PWM waveform. In order to analysis the harmonic problems of medium-voltage ASDs, the simulation models of multilevel PWM inverters by MTLAB/SIMULINK and the experimental system are established. The following frequency spectrum characters of multilevel PWM voltage are achieved from many simulation and experimental results. 1) Harmonic distribution centers on the carrier wave Gequency--f,, 2f,, etc [ 5 ] . As the common rule of the low-voltage PWM inverters, it is also applicable to the multilevel ones. But the definition of carrier frequency is extended. It is not always equal to carrier frequency or the power electronic device switch frequency. It should be considered as:

Abstract-Multilevel PWM inverters have become the development trends of medium-voltage and high-power motor adjustable-speed drives (ASDs). Harmonic analysis of medium-voltage ASD output voltage is described firstly in this paper. Through lots of simulation and experimental results, the frequency spectrum characters of multilevel PWM voltage waveforms are concluded. It offers the academic fundamentals for the filter design. Use of L-R-C filter is a simple and efficient method to mitigate the voltage surges effects. The filter parameters are related to the harmonic components of ASD output voltage and cable length. Furthermore it makes some problems more serious with the increasing of motor capability. On the basis of considering some problems synthetically such as fundamental voltage drop, active power loss, current harmonics and resonance, this paper presents the parameter choice formulae that can be applied to medium-voltage and high-power ASDs output filter design. Keywords-ASD, multilevel, PWM, harmonics, filter

1. INTRODUCTION

As an efficient energy savings way, the applications of adjustable-speed drives (ASDs) for medium-voltage induction motors are widely spread [ 13. Because the single power electronic device cant endure mediumvoltage presently, multilevel PWM control is applied in most medium-voltage ASDs. Steep-fronted surges generated by PWM inverters have long been recognized to pose a hazard to the turn insulation of motors [2], [3]. For medium-voltage motors this problem is more serious. In order to make ASDs more popular in the higher voltage ranges, the harmonics problems must be dealt well with. Through lots of simulation and experimental results, the frequency spectrum characters of multilevel PWM voltage are concluded. On this basis, the design methods of output filters for medium-voltage motor ASDs are provided.
11. HAMONIC ANALYSIS OF MULTILEVEL PWM INVERTER OUTPUT VOLTAGE

where A. is the equivalent carrier frequency, fr is the modulation frequency, np is the numbers of PWM pulses in one output voltage period. Fig.1 shows the output voltage waveform and frequency spectrum of three-level and three-cell cascade inverters. And the output line voltage harmonic contents of different multilevel PWM inverters are shown in Table 1. Equivalent carrier frequency is 3kHz, and the each cell device switch frequency of three-cell cascaded inverters is only 500Hz. So the filter should be designed as low-pass type and its cut-off frequency is less thanf,. 2) With the increasing of the output voltage steps, harmonic amplitude becomes less, and it can reduce the filters capability. Table I shows that the harmonic contents are inversely proportional to the positive voltage step numbers (or negative step numbers). 3) In the course of VVVF (Variable Voltage Variable Speed), the hlarmonic distribution centers are related to the frequency modulation index, and harmonic amplitude is related to amplitude modulation index. Their definitions are as follows:

PWM control can make inverters output voltage and current more similar to sine curve. But harmonic components related to carrier wave are produced inherently for modulations of pressing carrier wave on sine signal [4]. The frequency and amplitude of voltage harmonics has to be specified before filter design. Besides two-level PWM inverters, neutral point clamped three-

where N is the frequency modulation index, D is the amplitude modulation index, M, is the modulation wave peak value, M, is the carrier wave peak value. For the synchronous modulation, N is a constant and the harmonic distribution center is changed with the i . Therefore the filter design should take altering of j account of the minimum carrier frequency in VVVF.

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TABLE I
OUTPUT LINE VOLTAGE HARMONIC CONTENTS OF DIFFERENTMULTILEVEL PWM INVERTERS

Circuit Form Linc Voltagc Positivc Stcp Numbcrs Maximal Harmonic Contents Ratio Among w, voltarrc total harmonic distortion

Two-lcvcl

Thrcc-levcl 2 12%
33%

Thrcc-ccll cascaded 6 6%
14%

Fivc-ccll cascadcd

1
32%
73%

IO
3Yo

8%

Due to these rules of multilevel PWM inverters, the harmonic contents can also be reduced through adding equivalent carrier frequency or output voltage steps. However devices switching loss or circuit complex degree will be increased largely. Compare to these two methods, a reasonable design of low-pass filter may be more effective and economic for medium-voltage ASDs.
111. FILTER DESIGN FORMEDIUM-VOLTAGE MULTILEVEL
PWM INVERTERS

must be considered comprehensively for high power motor ASDs.

i :
l=LT
(b)
Fig.2 (a) LRC filter topology. (b) Singlc-phase cquivalcnt circuit of LRC tiltcr.

Fig. 2(a) shows the LRC low-pass filter topology and Fig. 2(b) shows its single-phase equivalent circuit. L is used to restrain high-order harmonics pass, C provides a bypass for harmonics and R is a damper to avoid resonance [6]. In theory if the value of L and C is large enough, the output voltage will be similar with sine wave greatly. However the fundamental voltage drop, active power loss, current harmonics and resonance problems

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To simplify analysis, the distributed cable parameters are neglected, and the motor model is expressed by R-L series network. The transfer function of this equivalent circuit can be derived as follows:

Z = jwL+Z, llZm

(3)
(4)

1 ~ 1 1% , I H , ( =

2) On fundamental frequency,

(z( lzml, IH~,\

%

1,

wc

. Thus the fundamental frequency

voltage can pass the filter without loss, the fundamental frequency current is unaffected, and active power loss is direct proportion with RC'. 3) On the carrier wave frequency ranges, I z Iz W L ,
L m ., J H ~-!L. The high frequency LCwWL current is magnified L J L times when high frequency
JH,,

-, 1

IH, I

where Z,,

is the inverter output current without filter,

1 Z m =R,,,+jwL,, Z,. =R+-. jwC If the selected RLC value of filter accords with the formula

L < -L,n

1 10
1 10

R <-R,,

(7)

the formula (3)-(6) can be determined as follows after predigesting:

Lf,,w2(LCw' - 1)' + R: (L,Cw' -l)>

(8)

i fx:

The Fig. 3 shows its amplitude-frequency characteristic and the following conclusions can be derived from these curves. 1) The resonance frequency is

and fxl< f x 2 . To avoid resonance and restrain harmonics nearby preferably, the following formula should be accorded with:

Fig.3 Amplitudc-frcqucncy charactcristic of 2. U,,, H , , H,,.

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voltage is filtered out. To some certain frequency harmonics, active power loss is direct proportion with WL' . After considering all above factors applied formulae used to LRC value choice are as follows:

L=SOmH, C=OSpF, R=30i2.

Through validation, the selected values meet with (7) and (13) accords. Fig. 5 presents experimental curves after filtering with these parameters. And the THD of output voltage is 9%.

= 0.05

- O.IL,,

(14)

R = 0.05

- 0. l R m .

(16)

If motor winding is connected with Y type, R,,, and L,n is determined by

where U,v is the rated voltage, P,v is the rated power, is the rated circular frequency, 1 is the power factor. Besides (7) and (13), the voltage and current harmonics content ratio and active power loss can't exceed the limitations. Their calculation formulae are

5
Ol

2
'0 1000 MO0

HRU, = -.

WL

HRU,,

3000 4000 5000 6000 7000 8000 9000 10000 Frequency (Hz)

Fig. 4 (a) Output line voltage and current without filter (b) Frequency spcctrum ofthe output line voltage

(b)

where HRUOn is the output voltage harmonics content ratio before filtering, HRIon is the output current harmonics content ratio before filtering, HRUh is the voltage closed-by carrier wave frequency harmonics content ratio. Therefore the filter design is a optimize problem which makes (7) and (13) as the constraint condition, and that (19)-(21) as the destination function. Its initial value can be presented by (14)-(16). IV. EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS The test system is a three-cell cascaded and 3kHz carrier PWM ASD supplying a 38OV/175W/1360rpm induction motor. Fig. 4 shows the ASD's output voltage and current without filter. The Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) of the output line voltage is 14%. In formula (17)-( IS), let 1=0.85, then Rm=596Rt L,,=5 16mH. The filter parameters calculated from (1 4)-( 16) are
L

Frequency (Hz)

Fig. 5 (a) Output line voltage and current after filtering when L=SOmH, C=OSpF, R=30R. (b) Frequency spectrum of the output line voltage.

(b)

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[5]
[6]

W. M. Tong, K. J. L I , G. F. Zhai and H. M. Xu,Harmonic Analysis of SPWM VSI in proccss of VVVF, Power Electronics, vol. 29, pp. 47-5 I , Aug. 1995 Yilmaz Sozcr, David A. Torrcy and Suhan Rcva, Ncw invcrtcr output tiltcr 1.0pologyfor PWM motor drivcs, IEEE Trans. On Power l<lec/rics, Vol. 15, pp. 1007-1017, Nov. 2000.

4Obo

5MO

6000 70bo &IO

S0bo 101430

Frequency (Hz)

Fig. 6 (a) Output linc voltage and currcnt a t k r filtcring whcn L=lOOmH, C=l yF, R=30Q. (b) Frequency spectrum of thc output linc voltagc.

(b)

The further optimization result is L=lOOmH, C=lpF, R=30R. Fig. 6 shows the experimental curves using this filter. The THD of output voltage is 5%. V. CONCLUSION Through reasonable design of inverters output filter, the insulation demands on electric motors can be put down, even power factor and efficiency can be increased. Thus frequency converters are well used to common industry motors. In this paper, multilevel PWM inverters output harmonics characters is illustrated firstly. On this basis and considering some important problems, the applied formulae for selecting RLC low-pass filter parameters are induced. The filter design by this way has been used into a 6kVl3 15kW mortar pump ASD in power plant successfully.

REFERENCES
J. S . Lai and F. Z. Peng, Multilcvel convcrtcrs-A ncw brecd of powcr converters, in Conf:Rec.IEEE-IASAnnu. Meting , 1995, pp. 2348-2356. A.Mbayc, F.Grigorcscu, T.Lebcy and Bui Ai, Existcnce of partial dischargcs in low-voltagc induction machincs supplicd by PWM drivcs, IEEE Trans. on Dielectrics and Electrical Insulation, vol. 3, pp. 554-560, Aug. 1996. Mikc Mclti, Jason Sung, Sidncy Bcll and Gary L. Skibinski, Effect of surgc voltagc risctime on thc insulation of lowvoltagc machincs fcd by PWM convcrtcrs, IEEE Trans. on Ind. Applica., vol. 34, pp. 766-775, JuUAug. 1998. D. G. Holmcs and B. P. McGrath, Opportunitics for Harmonic Cancellation with Carricr-Bascd PWM for TwoLcvcl and Multilcvcl Cascaded Invcrtcrs, IEEE Trsns. on Ind. Applica., vo1.37, pp. 574-582, Mar./Apr. 2001.

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