Fractional order super-twisting sliding mode observer for sensorless control of induction motor

Purpose To meet the need of reducing the cost of industrial systems, sensorless control applications on electrical machines are increasing day by day. This paper aims to improve the performance of the sensorless induction motor control system. To do this, the speed observer is designed based on the combination of the sliding mode and the fractional order integral. Design/methodology/approach Super-twisting sliding mode (STSM) and Grunwald-Letnikov approach are used on the proposed observer. The stability of the proposed observer is verified by using Lyapunov method. Then, the observer coefficients are optimized for minimizing the steady-state error and chattering amplitude. The optimum coefficients (c(1), c(2), k(i) and ) are obtained by using response surface method. To verify the effectiveness of proposed observer, a large number of experiments are performed for different operation conditions, such as different speeds (500, 1,000 and 1,500 rpm) and loads (100 and 50 per cent loads). Parameter uncertainties (rotor inertia J and friction factor F) are tested to prove the robustness of the proposed method. All these operation conditions are applied for both proportional integral (PI) and fractional order STSM (FOSTSM) observers and their performances are compared. Findings The observer model is tested with optimum coefficients to validate the proposed observer effectiveness. At the beginning, the motor is started without load. When it reaches reference speed, the motor is loaded. Estimated speed and actual speed trends are compared. The results are presented in tables and figures. As a result, the FOSTSM observer has less steady-state error than the PI observer for all operation conditions. However, chattering amplitudes are lower in some operation conditions. In addition, the proposed observer shows more robustness against the parameter changes than the PI observer. Practical implications The proposed FOSTSM observer can be applied easily for industrial variable speed drive systems which are using induction motor to improve the performance and stability. Originality/value The robustness of the STSM and the memory-intensive structure of the fractional order integral are combined to form a robust and flexible observer. This paper grants the lower steady-state error and chattering amplitude for sensorless speed control of the induction motor in different speed and load operation conditions. In addition, the proposed observer shows high robustness against the parameter uncertainties.