Current Control of Grid-Tied LCL-VSI With a Sliding Mode Controller in a Multiloop Approach

Despite several studies and approaches, the design of current controllers for grid-connected converters via LCL filters is still a challenging task. This is mainly due to the parametric uncertainties and the grid background voltage distortions to which the system is submitted. In order to overcome these inherent system challenges, this paper proposes a multiloop control framework that simplifies the system dynamics of the overall circuit by splitting it in two equivalent sub-circuits. An inner loop is implemented as a fast sliding mode controller that controls the filter capacitor voltage in a fast and robust way. As a result, the plant, viewed by the outer loop, yields a voltage-controlled voltage source connected to the grid through an L filter. Thus, multiple resonant controllers are included in the state-space representation of this simplified system, allowing the design of a state-feedback controller in the outer loop for asymptotic tracking of the grid current with disturbance rejection of the grid background voltage. Here, a discrete linear quadratic regulator algorithm is used for designing the state-feedback gains. A simple design procedure is presented, as well as simulations and experimental results, to show the good performance of the proposed control scheme even under significant uncertainties and disturbances of the system.