In the control of Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor (PMSM), there has been a recognized trade‐off between reducing switching device power loss and minimizing current harmonic distortion. To simultaneously suppress harmonic currents in PMSM and reduce the inverter switching loss, a hybrid pulse width optimization strategy is proposed in this work, which combines Synchronous Optimal Pulse Width Modulation (SOPWM) and Space Vector Pulse Width Modulation (SVPWM). First, the mathematical model of harmonic currents in PMSM is derived to quantify the influence of inverter output voltage on motor harmonic currents. Second, precise switching action timings within each voltage fundamental period are obtained through a numerical method, enabling SOPWM across various fundamental frequencies. Finally, to implement closed‐loop control based on hybrid pulse width optimization, Model Predictive Control (MPC) is integrated into the Field‐Oriented Control (FOC) method to achieve closed‐loop control of the PMSM. Simulation results validate that the proposed algorithm can effectively reduce current harmonics while significantly lowering the inverter switching frequency – hence less switching loss. Furthermore, comparative studies against FOC closed‐loop methods and similar algorithms demonstrate that the proposed algorithm achieves better system dynamic performance and superior current harmonic suppression performance. © 2026 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.
Zhang et al. (2026) studied this question.