Decoupled current control of sensorless induction-motor drives by integral sliding mode

This paper discusses the problems of current decoupling control and controller tuning associated with sensorless vector-controlled induction-motor (IM) drives. In field-oriented control, the d-q synchronous-frame currents should be regulated to have independent dynamics such that the torque production of the IM resembles that of a separately excited dc motor. However, these currents are not naturally decoupled, and decoupling compensators should be used. Current loop tuning is an additional problem, since controller gains obtained by theoretical methods or simulation, quite often, do not work well on the real system. This paper proposes a new approach for current control that uses integral-sliding-mode (ISM) controllers to achieve decoupling. The synchronous-frame control voltages are synthesized as the sum of two controller outputs: a traditional one (PI) that acts on an ideal plant model and an ISM controller. The ISM controller decouples the d-q currents and compensates the parameter variations in the current loops of the machine. Simulations and experimental tests on a 0.25-hp three-phase induction machine show satisfactory results.