Almost disturbance decoupling for a class of nonlinear systems via sampled-data output feedback control

This paper addresses the problem of almost disturbance decoupling (ADD) using sampled-data output feedback control for a class of continuous-time nonlinear systems. Under a lower-triangular linear growth condition, a sampled-data output feedback controller is constructed based on the output feedback domination approach, and a Gronwall-Bellman-like inequality is established in the presence of disturbances. Even though a sampled-data controller is employed for easy computer implementation, the proposed controller is still able to achieve ADD under the commonly used continuous-time requirement, that is, the disturbances' effect on the output is attenuated to an arbitrary degree of accuracy in the L-2 gain sense. Copyright (C) 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.