A Novel Sliding-Mode Control Strategy Based on Exponential Reaching Law for Three-Phase AC/DC Converter

The control design of three-phase AC/DC converters is particularly challenging, as their dynamic behavior is governed by complex nonlinear interactions and strong coupling among system variables, conventional Proportional–Integral (PI) controllers often suffer from sluggish transient responses and limited immunity to interference. To address these issues, Sliding-Mode Control (SMC) is widely adopted for its robustness against parameter uncertainties and rapid dynamic performance. However, the chattering phenomenon inherent in traditional SMC near the sliding surface remains a critical challenge. To improve the dynamic performance of sliding-mode control, this work introduces a redesigned exponential reaching law into the control framework. The proposed strategy is implemented in a voltage–current cascaded (double closed-loop) structure, where the improved reaching law is embedded in the outer DC-link voltage loop and the inner loop regulates the grid currents in the synchronous dq frame. By modifying the reaching dynamics, the proposed approach effectively weakens chattering phenomena while enabling faster convergence of the system states. Comprehensive validation was conducted using Matlab/Simulink simulations and experimental prototypes. The results demonstrate that, compared to PI control and traditional exponential reaching law-based SMC, the proposed strategy significantly mitigates chattering while delivering superior static stability and faster dynamic response.