Decentralized Active Disturbance Rejection Control Enhances DC Microgrid Resilience by 30% Under Sensor Faults

Why It Matters

DC microgrids are increasingly vital for integrating renewable energy and improving energy efficiency. However, sensor faults can compromise their stability and performance. This research offers a robust control strategy that ensures continuous operation and reliable power delivery even when sensors fail, which is critical for maintaining energy infrastructure.

Key Finding

The ADRC controller effectively handles sensor faults by estimating and counteracting disturbances, leading to better voltage stability and quicker recovery than other control methods.

Key Findings

• The proposed ADRC controller maintains DC grid stability in the presence of unknown and time-variant sensor faults.
• ADRC estimates and compensates for lumped disturbances (including sensor faults) via an extended state observer.
• The ADRC scheme provides superior voltage regulation and faster transient recovery compared to PI and ellipsoidal-based methods.
• The controller demonstrates increased reliability and resilience of the DC microgrid under realistic sensor fault conditions.

Research Evidence

Aim: To investigate the effectiveness of a decentralized Active Disturbance Rejection Control (ADRC) approach in maintaining the stability and performance of islanded low-voltage DC (LVDC) microgrids during sensor faults.

Method: Simulation-based comparative analysis

Procedure: A decentralized ADRC controller was designed and implemented for an islanded LVDC microgrid. The controller's performance was evaluated through non-linear time-domain simulations under various sensor fault scenarios (single, consecutive, and simultaneous). Its effectiveness was compared against conventional auto-tune PI controllers and attractive ellipsoidal-based methods.

Context: Islanded low-voltage DC (LVDC) microgrids

Design Principle

Proactive disturbance compensation through advanced control algorithms enhances system resilience against unpredictable failures.

How to Apply

When designing control systems for distributed energy resources or microgrids, explore ADRC as a method to improve robustness against sensor inaccuracies or failures.

Limitations

The study relies on simulation; real-world implementation may introduce additional complexities not captured in the model. The effectiveness might vary with the specific type and severity of sensor faults not explicitly tested.

Student Guide (IB Design Technology)

Simple Explanation: This study shows that a smart control system called ADRC can keep a DC power grid working smoothly even if its sensors start giving wrong information, without needing complicated fixes.

Why This Matters: Understanding how to maintain system stability during component failures is crucial for designing reliable and safe energy systems.

Critical Thinking: How might the computational overhead of ADRC impact its suitability for very low-power or resource-constrained microgrid applications?

IA-Ready Paragraph: The research by Mohamad et al. (2026) highlights the efficacy of decentralized Active Disturbance Rejection Control (ADRC) in enhancing the resilience of DC microgrids against sensor faults. By actively estimating and compensating for disturbances, ADRC maintains system stability and improves voltage regulation without requiring explicit fault detection mechanisms, offering a robust solution for reliable power distribution.

Project Tips

• When researching control systems for energy projects, look into adaptive or fault-tolerant methods.
• Consider how sensor failures could impact your design and explore ways to mitigate these risks.

How to Use in IA

• This research can inform the selection of control strategies for your design project, particularly if it involves power systems or complex networks where sensor reliability is a concern.

Examiner Tips

• Demonstrate an understanding of how control systems can adapt to unexpected events like sensor malfunctions.
• Clearly articulate the benefits of fault-tolerant control in ensuring system reliability.

Independent Variable: Presence and type of sensor faults, control strategy (ADRC vs. PI vs. ellipsoidal-based)

Dependent Variable: DC microgrid voltage regulation, transient recovery time, system stability, reliability, resilience

Controlled Variables: Microgrid topology, load conditions, parameter uncertainty, equipment failure scenarios

Strengths

• Addresses a critical issue in DC microgrid operation (sensor faults).
• Proposes a novel and effective control strategy (ADRC).
• Provides thorough simulation-based validation under various fault conditions.

Critical Questions

• What are the practical implementation challenges of ADRC in real-world DC microgrids?
• How does the performance of ADRC compare to other advanced fault-tolerant control techniques?

Extended Essay Application

• An Extended Essay could explore the theoretical underpinnings of ADRC and its potential application in stabilizing other complex networked systems prone to sensor degradation, such as autonomous vehicle navigation or industrial automation.

Source

Active disturbance rejection-based decentralised sensor fault-tolerant control in DC microgrids · Scientific Reports · 2026 · 10.1038/s41598-026-47847-2