Active disturbance rejection control based on a cascade estimator composed of reduced-order and full-order extended state observers

This paper presents a pioneering cascade estimator, CRESO, which merges reduced-order and full-order extended state observers (ESO) in a novel manner. CRESO is designed to navigate the trade-off between robustness, estimation accuracy, and noise amplification inherent in active disturbance rejection control (ADRC) schemes. An analysis in the frequency domain substantiates CRESO’s performance and robustness capabilities compared to those of single-level ESO and cascade ESO (CESO). These features are quantified using practical metrics, such as stability margins, sensitivity bandwidth, and estimation error at low frequencies. Additionally, the discussion encompasses the impact of selecting bandwidths for the cascade levels of CRESO on noise suppression. Experimental validation on a synchronous buck converter demonstrates the effectiveness of CRESO-based ADRC against control gain uncertainties, frequency-varying external disturbances, and sensor noise. The results highlight the advantages of the proposed approach over ADRC strategies employing singular ESO, two-level CESO, and two independent ESOs, as evidenced by several quality indices derived from the tracking errors and control signals.