High-Performance Second-Order Sliding Mode Control for NPC Converters

In this article, a linear extended state observer (LESO) based second-order sliding mode (SOSM) control strategy with the direct power control is proposed for a three-phase neutral-point-clamped (NPC) power converter connected to a dc microgrid. Comparing with the PI control method, the proposed approach implements the advanced SOSM controller into the voltage regulation loop and instantaneous power tracking loop to enhance the dynamic and steady state performance. Furthermore, saturation function is applied in the SOSM method to weaken the chattering phenomenon. On the other hand, since the dc load is regarded as an external disturbance, an efficient LESO is designed in the voltage regulation loop to reject this disturbance. The design process of the proposed control strategy is shown based on the continuous averaged model of the NPC converter. Finally, comparison experiments among PI, LESO-based PI, and proposed LESO-based SOSM control strategies are implemented, which validate the superiority of the proposed approach.