Sensing-noise reduction in active disturbance rejection controllers: a permanent magnet synchronous generator-based wind turbine example

Abstract Active disturbance rejection control (ADRC) exhibits notable resilience against both internal and external disturbances. Its straightforward implementation further enhances its appeal for controlling a diverse class of systems. However, the high-gain nature of the extended state observer, which is the core of ADRC, may degrade performance when faced with high-frequency sensing noise—a common challenge in real-world settings. This article addresses this issue through a specifically placed and particularly designed low-pass filter while preserving the ease of implementation characteristic of ADRC. This article proposes a simple tuning method for the filter-controller structure to improve the scheme’s design process. Theoretical results simplify the design process based on the Routh–Hurwitz criterion such that the additional low-pass filter does not affect the closed-loop stability. The maximum power point tracking task on a wind turbine—a nonlinear system requiring the measurement of inherently noisy signals, such as electrical currents—is addressed to illustrate the design process of the proposed approach. Real-time experiments on a laboratory platform emulating a Permanent Magnet Synchronous Generator-based wind turbine endorse the enhanced scheme’s effectiveness in mitigating high-frequency sensing noise.