Autonomous finite-time disturbance observer-based control of the micro turbine: Speed/frequency regulation and dynamic power compensation

This paper proposes an autonomous finite-time disturbance observer-based control (FTDOBC) scheme to simultaneously achieve speed/frequency regulation and dynamic power compensation. The proposed approach is designed for a standalone micro turbine generation system operating under aerospace power demands. Unlike centralized architectures relying on real-time communication between subsystems, the proposed method embeds finite-time disturbance observers (FTDOs) into each dynamic stage of the micro turbine (MT) model. It enables independent estimation and compensation of mismatched/matched disturbances (e.g., load power fluctuations, system uncertainties). Then, the composite controller is finally designed by the estimates of local FTDOs and the state feedback control law. Theoretical analysis proves that the FTDOBC method guarantees the finite-time convergence of dynamic power estimation and the asymptotically convergence of speed tracking errors. Simulations demonstrate that the proposed method can maintain the speed/frequency at the reference value rapidly, even under the demand of ramped and step load power. It also reveals that the demand power load is compensated rapidly by the proposed method. By capacitating a single MT to autonomously balance frequency stability and dynamic power demand, this work provides a foundational control paradigm for future distributed aviation energy systems.