Robust control of uncertain nonlinear systems with state delays based on an uncertainty and disturbance estimator

Abstract In this article, one linear and one nonlinear robust control strategies are proposed for uncertain nonlinear continuous‐time systems with disturbances and state delays. The approaches are based on the uncertainty and disturbance estimator (UDE) introduced in 2004. In the case of a linear controller, the terms containing the nonlinear functions and time delays are treated as additional disturbances to the system. In the case of a nonlinear controller, both known and unknown delay scenarios are considered. In the case of an unknown time delay, the terms containing the delay are treated as additional disturbances to the system. The algorithms provide excellent tracking and disturbance rejection performance. Simulations are given to show the effectiveness of the strategies, first via a simple example and second via an application to a continuous stirred tank reactor system. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.