Space vector modulation (SVM) is an algorithm for the control of
pulse-width modulation
Pulse-width modulation (PWM), or pulse-duration modulation (PDM), is a method of reducing the average power delivered by an electrical signal, by effectively chopping it up into discrete parts. The average value of voltage (and current) fed ...
(PWM).
[
] It is used for the creation of
alternating current
Alternating current (AC) is an electric current which periodically reverses direction and changes its magnitude continuously with time in contrast to direct current (DC) which flows only in one direction. Alternating current is the form in whic ...
(AC)
waveform
In electronics, acoustics, and related fields, the waveform of a signal is the shape of its graph as a function of time, independent of its time and magnitude scales and of any displacement in time.David Crecraft, David Gorham, ''Electronic ...
s; most commonly to drive
3 phase
3 (three) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 2 and preceding 4, and is the smallest odd prime number and the only prime preceding a square number. It has religious or cultural significance in many societie ...
AC powered motors at varying speeds from DC using multiple
class-D amplifiers. There are variations of SVM that result in different quality and computational requirements. One active area of development is in the reduction of
total harmonic distortion
The total harmonic distortion (THD or THDi) is a measurement of the harmonic distortion present in a signal and is defined as the ratio of the sum of the powers of all harmonic components to the power of the fundamental frequency. Distortion facto ...
(THD) created by the rapid switching inherent to these algorithms.
Principle
A three-phase inverter as shown to the right converts a DC supply, via a series of switches, to three output legs which could be connected to a three-phase motor.
The switches must be controlled so that at no time are both switches in the same leg turned on or else the DC supply would be shorted. This requirement may be met by the complementary operation of the switches within a leg. i.e. if A
+ is on then A
− is off and vice versa. This leads to eight possible switching vectors for the inverter, V
0 through V
7 with six active switching vectors and two zero vectors.
Note that looking down the columns for the active switching vectors V
1-6, the output voltages vary as a pulsed sinusoid, with each leg offset by 120 degrees of
phase angle.
To implement space vector modulation, a reference signal V
ref is sampled with a frequency f
s (T
s = 1/f
s). The reference signal may be generated from three separate phase references using the
transform. The reference vector is then synthesized using a combination of the two adjacent active switching vectors and one or both of the zero vectors. Various strategies of selecting the order of the vectors and which zero vector(s) to use exist. Strategy selection will affect the harmonic content and the .
More complicated SVM strategies for the unbalanced operation of four-leg three-phase inverters do exist. In these strategies the switching vectors define a 3D shape (a hexagonal
prism
Prism usually refers to:
* Prism (optics), a transparent optical component with flat surfaces that refract light
* Prism (geometry), a kind of polyhedron
Prism may also refer to:
Science and mathematics
* Prism (geology), a type of sedimentary ...
in
coordinates or a
dodecahedron
In geometry, a dodecahedron (Greek , from ''dōdeka'' "twelve" + ''hédra'' "base", "seat" or "face") or duodecahedron is any polyhedron with twelve flat faces. The most familiar dodecahedron is the regular dodecahedron with regular pentagon ...
in abc coordinates) rather than a 2D
hexagon
In geometry, a hexagon (from Ancient Greek, Greek , , meaning "six", and , , meaning "corner, angle") is a six-sided polygon. The total of the internal angles of any simple polygon, simple (non-self-intersecting) hexagon is 720°.
Regular hexa ...
. General SVM techniques are also available for converters with any number of legs and levels.
[Ó. Lopez, J. Alvarez, J. Doval-Gandoy and F. D. Freijedo, "Multilevel Multiphase Space Vector PWM Algorithm," in IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics, vol. 55, no. 5, pp. 1933-1942, May 2008.]
See also
*
αβγ transform
*
Inverter (electrical)
A power inverter, inverter or invertor is a power electronic device or circuitry that changes direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC). The resulting AC frequency obtained depends on the particular device employed. Inverters do the opp ...
*
pulse-width modulation
Pulse-width modulation (PWM), or pulse-duration modulation (PDM), is a method of reducing the average power delivered by an electrical signal, by effectively chopping it up into discrete parts. The average value of voltage (and current) fed ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Space Vector Modulation
Electrical engineering
Control theory