Robust Sliding Mode Control of Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor Drives

Permanent magnet synchronous motors are widely used in electric vehicles due to their inherent high power density, large torque to weight ratio, and high reliability and efficiency. This paper presents novel robust sliding mode control methods for the field-oriented control of permanent magnet synchronous motors. The proposed sliding mode control methods are robust to modeling uncertainties and external disturbances. Both first and higher order sliding mode controllers are derived and compared. Computer simulation results show that the higher order sliding mode controller succeeds in reducing the chattering phenomenon that is present in the first order controller. Chattering may result in excessive heating of power electronics and wear of mechanical components. Computer simulation studies show the efficacy of the proposed sliding mode control methods applied to a permanent magnet synchronous motor drive.