Sliding Mode Current Control for Robust Current Sharing in Satellite Power Distribution Module

High reliability is essential in satellite applications. Many parts of a satellite are intentionally made redundant including the power supply to fulfill reliability requirements. Therefore, the current sharing technique is common in this application. The challenge in realizing the conventional current sharing strategy in this area is predicting the parameter change due to component degradation. Failing to anticipate the effect of component degradation will result in suboptimal current sharing and voltage regulation. In this paper, the design methodology to ensure wide operating area of current sharing and voltage stability which account for power converter component degradation is presented. The sliding mode controller is proposed which results in adjustable current sharing proportions flexibility. Simulation results show that the average voltage regulation error is close to 0%, and the average current sharing error is no more than 10%, even in degraded converters.