Nonlinear control-based class-D amplifier for audio intelligent infrastructure applications

A nonlinear control-based class-D amplifier using a DC power source for medium-power audio applications is proposed in this paper. The amplifier utilises switches in a half-bridge configuration to realise the class-D power stage. A passive second-order bandpass filter is cascaded with the power stage to render a highly linear audio amplifier for high-quality audio reproduction. A nonlinear technique-based controller is used for a closed-loop amplifier system which offers high immunity to power supply noise, robustness, and fault tolerance without using a triangular carrier generator. An 80 W, 20 Hz to 20 kHz amplifier model is developed considering the nonlinearity present in the power electronic switches of the power stage. Simulation results of the proposed amplifier with a full range 4 Omega loudspeaker load are presented. The amplifier's response at different frequencies in the audio spectrum is presented, which confirms the amplifier's linearity and command following property. To confirm the high linearity of the amplifier, the THD versus frequency plot is depicted, which ensures the suitability of the proposed amplifier for high-fidelity audio amplification.