An AC power supply with sliding-mode control

Electronic AC power supplies are classic products in power electronics. They include uninterruptible power supplies (UPS), test supplies, and conversion apparatus connecting DC power sources and DC storage systems to the utility grid or to AC loads. There is continuing pressure for increased performance in these supplies. In this article we propose an AC power supply with sliding-mode control. It is characterized by both outstanding performance and simple structure. The control method is similar to that already introduced for DC/DC converters with improvements necessitated by AC operation and by the presence of the insulating transformer. A simple, robust, fast and accurate operation is obtained, demonstrating the features of the sliding-mode approach in the control of electronic power systems.