A Simple Control Approach for Buck Converters With Current-Constrained Technique

Abstract

The output voltage tracking problem with overcurrent protection for a pulse width modulation-based dc–dc buck converter is investigated in this brief. On the one hand, large transient current during the start-up phase is required for fast dynamics. On the other hand, overlarge transient current may lead to a risk of hardware damage. Conventionally, this problem is solved by choosing conservative control parameters, while the dynamic performance is sacrificed to a certain extent. Besides, the load uncertainty is inevitable in practical applications. Hence, a control design that keeps a good balance between dynamic performance, overcurrent protection, and robustness is desired. To this end, a novel and simple current-constrained controller is constructed. Both dynamic performance and current constraint are taken into account. The low complexity of the proposed current-constrained controller yields a higher reliability of dc–dc buck converter control system, and reduces cost of hardware. Moreover, it shows a nice property of robustness against load uncertainty. Control action is penalized by adjusting controller gains automatically when inductor current tends to the barrier bound. Rigorous stability analysis is given under the presented controller. Comparative simulation and experimental results between the proposed control scheme and the classic proportion–integration–differentiation control scheme on the buck converter system are illustrated to verify the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed control scheme.