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Pulse-Width Modulation

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Part of the book series: Advances in Industrial Control ((AIC))

Abstract

Pulse-width modulation (PWM) is the foundation of control in power electronics. Its design affects almost all aspects of converter operation, from steady-state and dynamic control performance to electromagnetic interference (EMI) and thermal design. The basic principle of commonly used PWM methods has been well established and easy to understand. Yet achieving optimal performance in terms of control, power quality and EMI requires in-depth understanding of the modulation process as well as its spectral and dynamic characteristics, which are mathematically much more involved due to the highly nonlinear nature of the PWM process.

This chapter provides a systematic treatment of various PWM methods. Different forms of PWM and their applications in DC (direct current)–DC, AC (alternate current)–DC and DC–AC converters will be reviewed first. Double Fourier series method is introduced as a general analytical tool for PWM spectral analysis. The method is then used to characterise different PWM waveforms and to provide insights into several commonly observed phenomena, such as harmonic cancellation under double-edge modulation and time-variant dynamic behaviour beyond half the switching frequency. This is followed by a section on small-signal modelling of commonly used PWM techniques, including constant On-time and constant Off-time variable-frequency PWM. The section also discusses interleaved PWM, covering the conventional symmetric interleaving as well as the newly developed asymmetric interleaving techniques for both parallel and cascaded converters. The last section presents modelling and analysis of peak-current control, in which the inductor current is used in place of an external carrier signal for pulse-width modulation.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    An exception is the buck converter and its derivatives where switching only changes the connection of the input voltage to the converter. Therefore, the only nonlinear term in the averaged model is the product between the duty ratio and the input voltage, and the model is linear if the input voltage is assumed constant.

  2. 2.

    Note that all slopes defined in Fig. 2.20 (m c , m 1 and m 2) are positive variables.

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© 2012 Springer-Verlag London Limited

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Sun, J. (2012). Pulse-Width Modulation. In: Vasca, F., Iannelli, L. (eds) Dynamics and Control of Switched Electronic Systems. Advances in Industrial Control. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-2885-4_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-2885-4_2

  • Publisher Name: Springer, London

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4471-2884-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4471-2885-4

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