IP Library Granted Patent US 12,549,113
Granted Patent B2
US 12,549,113 · App. 18/104,263 · Granted Feb 10, 2026

Rebalancing pulse width modulation signals for power systems

Inventors: Oliver Daniel Wilson (Fridley, MN); Denise Maria Christine Athaide (Minneapolis, MN)
Assignee: Cummins Power Generation Inc.
H02M7/5395H02M1/088H02M7/537
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,549,113
App. No.
18/104,263
Granted
Feb 10, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

Presented herein are systems, devices, and methods of rebalancing pulse width modulation (PWM) signals. A device can receive a plurality of PWM signals to be provided to a plurality of legs of an inverter. The device can identify a minimum value and a maximum value from at least a subset of the plurality of PWM signals. The device can determine a rebalance value based on a spread between the minimum value and the maximum value. The device can modify, using the rebalance value, a first PWM signal of the plurality of PWM signals to generate a second PWM signal to provide to a leg of the plurality of the legs of the inverter.

Claims (50)

1 . A device for rebalancing pulse width modulation (PWM) signals, comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon; and

at least one processor configured to execute the instructions to:

receive a plurality of PWM signals from a controller generating the plurality of PWM signals having respective duty cycles to be provided to a plurality of legs of an inverter;

identify a minimum value and a maximum value from at least a subset of the plurality of PWM signals;

determine a rebalance value based on a spread between the minimum value and the maximum value; and

modify, using the rebalance value, a respective duty cycle of the respective duty cycles associated with a first PWM signal of the plurality of PWM signals to generate a second PWM signal to provide to a leg of the plurality of legs of the inverter.

2 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to execute the instructions to:

identify, from the plurality of PWM signals, a third PWM signal separate from the subset of the plurality of PWM signals; and

modify the third PWM signal using the rebalance value to generate a fourth PWM signal to provide to a second leg of the inverter.

3 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to execute the instructions to:

identify, from a plurality of rebalance modes, a rebalance mode based on a configuration; and

select, from a plurality of reference PWM signals in accordance with the rebalance mode, a reference PWM signal separate from the subset of the plurality of PWM signals, to be provided to a second leg of the plurality of legs of the inverter.

4 . The device of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of reference PWM signals comprises: (i) a first reference PWM signal having a zero duty cycle, (ii) a second reference PWM signal having a zero duty cycle prior to a transformation from a direct-quadrature-zero (DQ0) to three-phase, and (iii) a third reference PWM signal having a set duty cycle subsequent to the transformation.

5 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to:

determine that none of the plurality of PWM signals correspond to a reference PWM signal; and

add, responsive to determining that none of the plurality of PWM signals correspond to the reference PWM signal, the reference PWM signal set to null to the plurality of PWM signals.

6 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to:

determine that at least the subset of the plurality of PWM signals corresponds to a same phase condition; and

set, responsive to determining that at least the subset of the plurality of PWM signals corresponds to the same phase condition, the minimum value to null when determining the rebalance value.

7 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to execute the instructions to determine, based on at least one of a sign of the minimum value or a sign of the maximum value, the spread between the minimum value and the maximum value to reduce over-modulation.

8 . A system for providing electrical power using pulse width modulation (PWM) signals, comprising:

a power source configured to provide electrical power;

a controller structured to be coupled with the power source, the controller configured to convert the electrical power to a first plurality of PWM signals having respective duty cycles;

a power inverter structured to be coupled with the controller, the power inverter comprising a plurality of legs to receive a second plurality of PWM signals; and

a signal rebalancer structured to be coupled with the controller and the power inverter, and disposed downstream from the controller, the signal rebalancer configured to:

receive the first plurality of PWM signals from the controller;

identify a minimum value and a maximum value from at least a subset of the first plurality of PWM signals;

calculate a rebalance value based on a spread between the minimum value and the maximum value;

adjust, using the rebalance value, the respective duty cycles of the first plurality of PWM signals to generate the second plurality of PWM signals; and

provide the second plurality of PWM signals to the plurality of legs of the power inverter.

9 . The system of claim 8 , further comprising a plurality of power subsystems, each power subsystem of the plurality of power subsystems electrically coupled with the power source, at least one of the plurality of power subsystems housing the controller, the power inverter, and the signal rebalancer.

10 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the controller comprises (i) a voltage control configured to regulate a voltage for the first plurality of PWM signals and (ii) a current control configured to regulate a current for the first plurality of PWM signals.

11 . The system of claim 8 , wherein at least one of the plurality of legs of the power inverter corresponds to a reference leg, the reference leg configured to provide at least one PWM signal of the first plurality of PWM signals having an amplitude less than at least one of a remainder of the first plurality of PWM signals.

12 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the signal rebalancer is further configured to:

determine that none of the first plurality of PWM signals correspond to a reference PWM signal; and

generate, responsive to determining that none of the first plurality of PWM signals correspond to the reference PWM signal, the reference PWM signal set to null to provide as the second plurality of PWM signals.

13 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the signal rebalancer is further configured to calculate, based on at least one of a sign of the minimum value or a sign of the maximum value, the spread between a magnitude of the minimum value and a magnitude of the maximum value.

14 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the power inverter is further configured to provide the second plurality of PWM signals corresponding to the electrical power to one or more components electrically coupled with the power inverter.

15 . A method of rebalancing pulse width modulation (PWM) signals, comprising:

receiving, by a processor, a plurality of PWM signals from a controller generating the plurality of PWM signals having respective duty cycles to be provided to a plurality of legs of an inverter;

determining, by the processor, a spread between a minimum value and a maximum value from at least a subset of the plurality of PWM signals;

generating, by the processor, a rebalance value based on the spread between the minimum value and the maximum value;

modifying, by the processor, using the rebalance value, at least one respective duty cycle of the respective duty cycles associated with at least one PWM signal of the plurality of PWM signals; and

providing, by the processor, the at least one PWM signal to a leg of the plurality of legs of the inverter.

16 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising identifying, by the processor, from the plurality of PWM signals, the at least one PWM signal as a reference signal, the at least one PWM signal separate from the subset of the plurality of PWM signals.

17 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising selecting, by the processor, from a plurality of reference PWM signals based on a configuration, a reference PWM signal separate from the subset of the plurality of PWM signals to be modified using the rebalance value.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the plurality of reference PWM signals comprises: (i) a first reference PWM signal having a zero duty cycle, (ii) a second reference PWM signal having a zero duty cycle prior to a transformation from a direct-quadrature-zero (DQ0) to three-phase, and (iii) a third reference PWM signal having a set duty cycle subsequent to the transformation.

19 . The method of claim 15 , wherein determining the spread further comprises determining, based on at least one of a sign of the minimum value or a sign of the maximum value, the spread between a magnitude of the minimum value and a magnitude of the maximum value.

20 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising providing, by the processor, via the plurality of legs of the inverter to one or more electronic components, a second plurality of PWM signals generated using the plurality of PWM signals and the rebalance value.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 31, 2023
From: WILSON, OLIVER DANIEL; ATHAIDE, DENISE MARIA CHRISTINE
To: CUMMINS POWER GENERATION INC.
Reel/Frame 062554/0513 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20240258903A1 · Aug 1, 2024
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