Robust Control Approaches for Minimizing the Bandwidth Ratio in Multi-Loop Control

Abstract: Conventional dc-dc, dc-ac converter control entail an inner current and outer voltage (ICOV) control loop. Stability of multi-loop control is achieved by ensuring faster dynamics of inner loops, often separating the bandwidths by large factors. Heuristically a factor-of-ten has often been used to separate the bandwidths of two adjacent loops in the nested architecture. In this paper, we present a numerical method to optimally select the ratio of bandwidths for a nested controller. We first manipulate the robust framework to show that the optimal $H_\infty$ subsumes the classical inner current outer voltage control. We then use optimality of the proposed $H_\infty$ controller to inspect feasibility of different ratios of bandwidths of the inner and outer controllers. We finally select the numerically closest bandwidths of the two nested loops which the guarantee stability. Simulation models are used to verify the optimal bandwidth separation for a candidate grid-forming dc-ac converter with inner current-outer voltage control.