Sliding Mode Control Techniques in Power Conversion Systems

Sliding mode control (SMC) has emerged as a cornerstone of robust regulation in modern power conversion systems, offering inherent insensitivity to parameter variations and external disturbances. By enforcing system trajectories to remain on a predefined sliding surface, SMC ensures rapid convergence to desired operating points and reliable performance under uncertain conditions. Advances in high-order sliding modes, adaptive sliding manifolds and fractional-order formulations have sought to mitigate chattering and enhance dynamic response, broadening the applicability of SMC in dc–dc converters, grid-connected inverters and hybrid energy storage interfaces. Fixed-frequency implementations address power-quality concerns by guaranteeing constant switching frequency, while disturbance-observer-based and intelligent adaptation schemes further strengthen resilience against fluctuating loads and unmodelled dynamics. Integration of sliding mode strategies with neural-network estimators, radial basis functions and hybrid H₂/H∞ design principles has unlocked new pathways for precision control in micro-grids, electrified transport and renewable power systems. The global significance of these developments is underscored by demonstrable improvements in voltage regulation, current tracking and power factor correction, realised through both simulation and experimental validation. As SMC techniques continue to evolve, they promise to underpin the next generation of efficient, reliable and adaptable power electronic converters in an increasingly electrified world.

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Recent contributions have refined adaptive sliding mode control for dc–dc buck converters, designing a global sliding manifold that eliminates the reaching phase and employs online parameter adaptation to counteract time-varying uncertainties and disturbances. The controller guarantees finite-time convergence of the voltage error while substantially reducing chattering, as confirmed by high-fidelity simulation studies within realistic simulation environments. In parallel, a novel sliding surface has been proposed for semi-bridgeless boost converters performing both power factor correction and dc-bus regulation. By combining terms that normalise dc-voltage error, regulate ac current and integrate error dynamics, and by implementing an adaptive hysteresis band to fix switching frequency, the method ensures fast disturbance rejection, minimal voltage overshoot and lower harmonic distortion without requiring additional PI layers. Lastly, a hybrid H₂ model-following sliding mode control scheme for dc–dc buck converters has demonstrated enhanced robustness through digital redesign. A continuous-time SMC law is transformed to discrete-time form, merging H₂ performance objectives with sliding mode robustness. Experimental results show improved voltage stability under sudden load changes and superior disturbance rejection compared with conventional approaches.

Sliding Mode Control Techniques in Power Conversion Systems publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in sliding mode control techniques in power conversion systems across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Sliding Mode Control (SMC): A robust control approach that drives system states onto a specified surface and maintains them there despite disturbances and model uncertainties.

Sliding Surface: A manifold in the state space defined by a switching function, along which the closed-loop system exhibits desired dynamics.

Chattering: The high-frequency oscillation around the sliding surface caused by rapid switching, which can induce mechanical stress and electromagnetic interference.

Hysteresis Band: A tolerance region around the sliding surface used to determine switching instances and influence the effective switching frequency.

Adaptive Hysteresis Band (AHB): A dynamic adjustment of the hysteresis band width to maintain constant switching frequency and reduce waveform distortion.

Power Conversion System: An assembly of power electronic converters and associated control algorithms engineered to transform and regulate electrical energy between sources and loads.

References

1. Adaptive Global Sliding Mode Controller Design for Perturbed DC-DC Buck Converters. Energies (2021).
2. A Sliding Surface for Controlling a Semi-Bridgeless Boost Converter with Power Factor Correction and Adaptive Hysteresis Band. Applied Sciences (2021).
3. Realization of DCDC Buck Converter Based on Hybrid ${H_2}$ Model Following Control. IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics (2021).