The ongoing transition toward renewable generation and widespread electrification has made power electronic converters a key enabling technology for efficient and controllable energy conversion. However, their growing penetration introduces challenges related to power quality, particularly when operated at low switching frequencies to reduce switching losses and improve converter efficiency. In her doctoral dissertation, MSc Shirin Rahmanpour developed advanced modulation schemes based on optimized pulse patterns to ensure that grid-connected converters meet power-quality requirements imposed by harmonic grid standards, even at low switching frequencies. The proposed methods ensure compliance with these standards under ideal grid conditions and in the presence of harmonic disturbances introduced by other grid-connected converters. The research further addresses uncertainty in the disturbances, enabling compliance to be maintained even when disturbance characteristics are partially known or, within specified amplitude limits, entirely unknown. Numerical and experimental results confirm the effectiveness of the developed modulation schemes, supporting grid-friendly operation at low switching frequencies.
The doctoral dissertation titled Advanced Optimal Modulation for Grid-Connected Converters by MSc Shirin Rahmanpour will be publicly examined in the Faculty of Information Technology and Communication Sciences at Tampere University on 6 November 2026. The dissertation is in the field of electrical engineering.
The Opponent will be Professor Patrick Wheeler from the University of Nottingham, United Kingdom. The Custos will be Associate Professor Petros Karamanakos from Tampere University.