Time discretization of nonlinear systems with variable time-delayed inputs using a Taylor series expansion

This paper proposes a new method of discretization for nonlinear systems using a Taylor series expansion and the zero-order hold assumption. The method is applied to sampled-data representations of nonlinear systems with input time delays. The delayed input varies in time and its amplitude is bounded. The maximum time-delayed input is assumed to be two sampling periods. The mathematical expressions of the discretization method are presented and the ability of the algorithm is tested using several examples. A computer simulation is used to demonstrate that the proposed algorithm accurately discretizes nonlinear systems with variable time-delayed inputs.