Real-Time Model Predictive Control for Two-Level Voltage Source Inverters with Optimized Switching Frequency

Villalón, Ariel; Burgos-Mellado, Claudio; Rivera, Marco; Zuloaga, Rodrigo; Levis, Héctor; Wheeler, Patrick; García, Leidy Y.

Abstract

The increasing integration of renewable energy, electric vehicles, and industrial applications demands efficient power converter control strategies that reduce switching losses while maintaining high waveform quality. This paper presents a Finite-Control-Set Model Predictive Control (FCS-MPC) strategy for three-phase, two-level voltage source inverters (VSIs), incorporating a secondary objective for switching frequency minimization. Unlike conventional MPC approaches, the proposed method optimally balances control performance and efficiency trade-offs by adjusting the weighting factor (𝜆𝑚𝑖𝑛). Real-time implementation using the OPAL-RT platform validates the effectiveness of the approach under both linear and non-linear load conditions. Results demonstrate a significant reduction in switching losses, accompanied by improved waveform tracking; however, trade-offs in distortion are observed under non-linear load scenarios. These findings provide insights into the practical implementation of real-time predictive control strategies for high-performance power converters.

Citation

Villalón, A., Burgos-Mellado, C., Rivera, M., Zuloaga, R., Levis, H., Wheeler, P., & García, L. Y. (2025). Real-Time Model Predictive Control for Two-Level Voltage Source Inverters with Optimized Switching Frequency. Applied Sciences, 15(13), Article 7365. https://doi.org/10.3390/app15137365

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jun 25, 2025
• Online Publication Date: Jun 30, 2025
• Publication Date: Jul 1, 2025
• Deposit Date: Jul 10, 2025
• Publicly Available Date: Jul 10, 2025
• Journal: Applied Sciences
• Electronic ISSN: 2076-3417
• Publisher: MDPI
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 15
• Issue: 13
• Article Number: 7365
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/app15137365
• Keywords: cost function; model predictive control (MPC); real-time simulation; two-level voltage source inverter; weighting factor
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/51337019
• Publisher URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/13/7365