Thermoelectric Module Control Based on Fractional-Order Disturbance Estimation State Observers

This article presents a fractional-order control strategy based on an uncertainty estimator applied to thermoelectric modules. It is known that thermoelectric modules are nonlinear systems characterized by a polynomial-type nonlinear control input. The proposed control law does not require the linearization of the nonlinear control input, this is achieved through the use of a state observer that estimates certain components of the nonlinear system’s state, enabling the control law to counteract these elements and drive the system toward a desired state. To validate the theoretical results, experiments are conducted by implementing the control law on a platform comprising a buck-type DC/DC converter that powers a Peltier cell. Simulation results show the feasibility of the proposed strategy against classical controllers.