Sliding Mode Control of Single-Phase UPS Inverters Using a Three-Level Hysteresis

Switching Function

Osman Kükrer Hasan Kömürcügil Alper Doganalp

Electrical and Electronic Engineering Computer Engineering Department School of Computing and Technology
Department
Eastern Mediterranean University Eastern Mediterranean University Eastern Mediterranean University
Gazimagusa, Mersin 10 Gazimagusa, Mersin 10 Gazimagusa, Mersin 10
TURKEY TURKEY TURKEY
osman.kukrer@emu.edu.tr hasan.komurcugil@emu.edu.tr alper.doganalp@emu.edu.tr

Abstract – A new approach to the sliding mode control of single-
phase UPS inverters is introduced in continuous-time. A three-
level hysteresis switching function is used to directly control the
inverter switches. The theoretical and predicted switching
frequency expressions are given. The performance of the
proposed control method has been tested through computer
simulations using different loads (a load which draws a square-
wave current, diode bridge rectifier load, and triac-controlled
resistive load). Simulation results verify the correct operation of
the proposed control approach. Also, the switching frequency
prediction is seen to be quite accurate.
I. INTRODUCTION
An uninterruptible power supply (UPS) is always adopted
to deliver power to critical loads such as communication
systems, medical equipment, data processing systems, and
computers in case of an utility power failure. The output
voltage waveform of a high performance UPS must be
sinusoidal, with specified frequency and amplitude, with low
total harmonic distortion (THD) for linear and nonlinear
loads. In addition to this requirement, an UPS system must
also have a good disturbance rejection, a good voltage
regulation, and a fast dynamic and transient response for
sudden changes at load.
In order to achieve these requirements, many control
methods [1-11] have been proposed in the literature. The
widespread availability of low cost microprocessors has led
researchers to investigate discrete-time control methods, such
as repetitive-based control [1-3], sliding-mode control [4, 5],
and deadbeat control [6-8] to improve the performance of
UPS systems. However, response times of such control
methods are limited by microcontroller speed and give rise to
considerable distortion with nonlinear loads.
It is well known that continuous-time control methods are
much faster and lead to much less distortion. The control
methods presented in [9, 10] employ two feedback control
loops. The inner loop is used for current control and the outer
loop is used for voltage control. Although these methods
exhibit good performance, the design of the feedback control
loops is complicated. However, it is shown in [11] that the
integral controller employed in the outer loop is redundant,
and its elimination leads to zero output impedance of the
inverter, with the result that the output voltage is unaffected
by the load, provided that the inverter PWM output is not
saturated. Each of these methods has its particular advantages
and disadvantages. In general, the feedback gains in these
methods are selected that yield, as closely as possible, the
desired system performance.
Continuous-time control strategies proposed in the
literature for single-phase UPS inverters based on the sliding
mode control technique have many drawbacks. In [12]
control based on a two-level hysteresis type switching
function does not take into account the three-level nature of
the inverter output voltage. The approach in [13] is
complicated by the fact that the filter inductor’s current is
chosen as a state variable, requiring computation of its
reference function. Furthermore, implementation of the
three-level switching function is based on the computation of
separate sliding surfaces for each inverter leg, with the
associated hardware complexity. In [14] separate control
loops are designed for the inductor current and the output
voltage.
In this study, a new approach to the sliding mode control
of single-phase UPS inverters is introduced. A three-level
switching function is utilised to directly control the inverter
switches. Therefore, considerable simplification is achieved
compared to existing approaches.
II. SLIDING MODE CONTROL WITH THREE-LEVEL
HYSTERESIS SWITCHING FUNCTION
Fig. 1 shows a single-phase UPS inverter. Considering as
state variables the output voltage error and its derivative, the
system behaviour can be described by the following
equations
x&1 = x 2 (1)
x& 2 = ω 02 (− x1 + uVs + DVs ) (2)
where x& denotes the derivative of x, x1 = v o − v o* ,
x 2 = v&o − v&o* , ω 0 = 1 / LC and
*
L dio 1 LC dv&o
D=− − v o* − (3)
V s dt V s V s dt
In (2) D is considered as a disturbance term. The reference
for the output voltage is chosen as v o* = V m sin(ωt ) . The
switching line is defined as σ = αx1 + x 2 (α > 0) . The
sliding mode ( σ = 0 ) is described by the first order equation
x&1 = −αx1 with solution x1 (t ) = x1 (0)e −αt . Obviously, if α

1-4244-0136-4/06/$20.00 '2006 IEEE 331

 +

T1 T3 L i0
+ +
Vs uVs v0
C
- -
T2 T4

Fig. 1 A single-phase UPS inverter.

u +1 T1
+1 σ

σ
T2
-h

h σ
-h
+1 T3
σ
-1 σ
T4
h

Fig. 2 (a) The three-level hysteresis switching function. (b) Implementation as two-level hysteresis functions.

increases, the state variables moving on the sliding surface increasing V s . In the vicinity of the origin where the errors
will be fast. For stability the following existence condition
are small ( x1 ≅ 0, x 2 ≅ 0 ), we must have D(t ) < 1 or
for the reaching mode must be satisfied: σσ& < 0 . Now,
taking the derivative of σ , di o dv& *
L + v o* + LC o < V s (7)
1 V V dt dt
σ& = − x1 + αx 2 + s u + s D (4)
LC LC LC which reduces to the following approximate form when
ω 0 >> ω ,
Letting u = − sign(σ ) , then for stability we must have
di o V s − V m
σ <0 ⇒ [− x1 + αLCx 2 + Vs (1 + D)] > 0 (5) < (8)
dt L
σ >0 ⇒ [− x1 + αLCx 2 + Vs (−1 + D)] < 0 (6)
In order to prevent chattering during the sliding mode and in
The region defined by the inequalities in (5) and (6) is time- the steady state, which gives rise to a very high switching
dependent, as the disturbance D is a function of time. frequency, the switching law u = − sign(σ ) should be
Furthermore, it is difficult to determine the trajectories of the
system because of the time-varying inputs in (3). Hence, it is replaced by a three-level hysteresis function such as in Fig.
quite difficult to ascertain the stability of the reaching mode. 2(a). This hysteresis function can be implemented as two
However, the choice of the control u given above is dictated separate functions from which the switching control signals
by the fact that the inverter output voltage has two nonzero for the inverter transistors are directly derived (Fig. 2 (b)).
levels ( ±V s ). Therefore, stability can only be mitigated by The hysteresis band is represented by 2h .

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 Fig. 3 Simulink model of the UPS inverter with the proposed control method.

III. SWITCHING FREQUENCY COMPUTATION
A practical system cannot switch at an infinite frequency.
Therefore, an estimate of the switching frequency would be
helpful in designing the system. The on and off periods can
be fairly accurately predicted by assuming that the errors x1
and x2 are negligible. The calculation here is further
simplified by assuming that dio / dt = 0 (which is true for a
square-wave load current except at the switching instants).
Then, equation (3) and the three-level input function in Fig.2
(a) imply
ω 2V
f s (t ) = 0 s m sin(ωt ) − m 2 sin 2 (ωt ) (9)
h
where m is defined as
V ω2
the average at this value of m is calculated as 1.234, which is
not unreasonably high.
IV. COMPUTER SIMULATIONS
A suitably designed sliding-mode controlled inverter has
been simulated using Simulink. The parameters of the system
are V s = 300 V, V m = 200 V, L = 250 µH, C = 100 µF,
h = 0.15 V/µs. The block diagram of the simulation model is
shown in Fig. 3. The block named “Three-level hysteresis”
implements the hysteresis function as two separate functions
from which the switching control signals for the inverter
transistors are directly derived.
Fig. 4 shows the output voltage and the load current
250 100

m = m (1 − 2 ) (10)
Vs ω0 200 80

150 60
Equation (9) is plotted in Fig. 4. The maximum value of the
switching frequency is 100 40
Output voltage vo, V

 ω 02V s
Load current io, A

50 20

 (m − m 2 ) 0 < m < 0.5

f s , max =  4h 2 (11) 0 0

 ω 0 Vs 0.060 0.065 0.070 0.075 0.080

0. 5 < m < 1 -50 -20

 4h -100 -40

The average switching frequency can be determined as -150 -60

ω 2V  2 1 
f s , av = 0 s  m − m 2  (12) -200 -80
h π 2  -250 -100
The parameter m has been chosen as 0.665 in the simulation Time, s

studies. The ratio of the maximum switching frequency to Fig. 4 Output voltage response to a square-wave load current.

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 250 80
25000 f s (Hz)
200
60

20000 150
40
100
15000

Output voltage vo, V

20

Load current io, A

50

10000 0 0
0.060 0.065 0.070 0.075 0.080
-50
5000 -20

-100
-40
0 t (s)
-150
0.060 0.065 0.070 0.075 0.080
-60
-200

-250 -80
Fig. 5 Computed and predicted switching frequency of the Time, s
inverter.
Fig. 7 Output voltage response to a triac-controlled resistive
load.
waveforms for a nonlinear load which draws a square-wave
load current. It can be observed that the response of the
Fig. 7 shows the output voltage and the load current
voltage to sudden load current changes is quite fast. Note that
waveforms for a triac-controlled resistive load ( R = 5Ω ),
the inverter remains stable despite the very large rate of
change of the load current. The total harmonic distortion with firing angles of 86 o and 266 o in the positive and
(THD) of the output voltage was computed as 3.178% and negative half-cycles, respectively. The THD of the output
the fundamental amplitude as 195.93V. It is clear that there voltage was computed as 1.2646% and the fundamental
exists a small steady-state error in the output voltage due to amplitude as 196.38V. The sliding function and the state
the small deviation of the switching frequency from its trajectory in the phase plane in one output cycle for this load
nominal value. However, it can be observed from (9) that case are shown in Fig. 8 and Fig. 9, respectively.
this steady-state error can be minimized further if the
hysteresis band h is decreased. Fig. 5 shows the theoretical 600000

(eqn.(7)) and computed switching frequency in one output

cycle. The switching frequency is computed by low-pass 400000

filtering the output of a one-shot pulse generator driven by

the rectified inverter output voltage v i = uV s . Note that the 200000
Sliding function sigma

f s prediction is quite accurate. The difference between the

0
computed and theoretical switching frequencies (except at 0.060 0.065 0.070 0.075 0.080
the load current transitions) is caused by the low-pass filter.
-200000
Fig. 6 shows the output voltage and the load current
waveforms for a diode bridge rectifier, with a 780µF
capacitor in parallel with an 80 Ω resistor, nonlinear load -400000

case. The THD of the output voltage was computed as

-600000
0.5601% and the fundamental amplitude as 196.85V. Time, s

250 20
Fig. 8 Sliding function σ .
200
15 500000
x2
150
10 400000
100
300000
Output voltage vo, V

5
Load current io, A

50
200000
0 0
0.060 0.065 0.070 0.075 0.080 100000
-50 x1
-5 0
-100 -20 -15 -10 -5 0 5 10 15 20
-10 -100000
-150
-200000
-15
-200
-300000
-250 -20
-400000
Time, s

-500000

Fig. 6 Output voltage response to a bridge rectifier load.

Fig. 9 State trajectory in the phase plane.

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Figs. 8 and 9 demonstrate the existence of the sliding mode.
It can be seen from Fig. 9 that the designed sliding mode
controller can drive the state trajectory toward the sliding
line. The trajectory reaches the designed sliding line and then
approaches the origin by chattering around the switching line
with amplitude dependent on the hysteresis band.
V. CONCLUSIONS
A new approach to the sliding mode control of single-
phase UPS inverters is proposed, where the control signals
for the inverter switches are obtained directly from a three-
level hysteresis switching function. The method to estimate
the switching frequency is presented. Simulation results
show that the method is quite successful in obtaining very
fast output voltage response to various nonlinear load
disturbances. Harmonic distortion is also seen to be
reasonably low.
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