A robust adaptive One Sample Ahead Preview controller for grid-injected currents of a grid-tied power converter with an LCL filter

This paper presents the development of a discrete-time Robust Adaptive One Sample Ahead Preview controller, based on the combination of a Robust Model Reference Adaptive Controller (RMRAC) with the One Sample Ahead Preview controller (OSAP), which is a particular case of the Deadbeat controller. This control structure is applied to grid-side current control of a grid-tied voltage-source inverter (VSI) with an LCL filter. The developed controller is robust enough to be designed considering the LCL filter as a first order model, which is commonly modelled as a third order transfer function, considering the neglected dynamics as unmodelled dynamics on controller design thanks to its adaptive identifier, which is a modified Gradient algorithm. Furthermore, the controller can deal properly with grid impedance uncertainties, which change the resonance peak frequency of the LCL filter, which affects the controller performance and can induce the closed-loop to instability, by incorporation of a majorant signal and the σ-function into the adaptive law, turning it robust. In addition, the predictive nature of the controller, which aims to regulate the current tracking in the minimum time possible (one sample) impacts straightforwardly in the reduction of harmonic distortion on grid-injected currents, improving energy quality, because the transient regime is reduced thanks to the fast dynamics of the adaptive predictive control strategy. To corroborate the controller’s performance and discuss its robustness, Hardware-in-the-Loop and experimental results using a grid-tied 5.5 kW VSI with an LCL filter are presented •The controller is robust enough to control grid injected currents considering a first order transfer function of the LCL filter.•The adaptive One Sample Ahead Preview Controller is robust to unmodelled dynamics, grid uncertainties and parametric variations.•The discrete-time adaptive One Sample Ahead Preview Controller provided fast currents regulation, feasible for grid-tied power systems.