Adaptive Dead-Time Algorithm to Reduce Current Harmonics in Three-Phase Motor Inverters Used for Electric Vehicles

This study proposes an adaptive dead-time algorithm in discrete time domain to decrease current harmonics in the interior permanent magnet synchronous motor (IPMSM) drive inverters, which may remarkably reduce motor losses under load condition. In detail, the efficient algorithm without large computational burden is designed for automatically seeking the optimal dead-time value of the pulse width modulation (PWM)-based inverter to minimize the fluctuations in the d-axis current of the considered motor as possible. Moreover, the total harmonic distortion (THD) of the IPMSM phase current in a detailed simulation model is provided and analyzed to assess the performance of the proposed dead-time algorithm carefully. Simulation results in MATLAB/Simulink with different rotational speeds are provided to illustrate the efficacy of the introduced algorithm. Furthermore, this model-free dead-time algorithm can be appropriately applied for other three-phase power inverters utilized in electric vehicles and renewable energy systems without large modifications.