Sliding mode control for a class of uncertain nonlinear system based on disturbance observer

In this paper, a sliding mode control (SMC) scheme is proposed for a class of nonlinear systems based on disturbance observers. For a nonlinear system, the disturbance that cannot be directly measured is estimated using a nonlinear disturbance observer. By choosing an appropriate nonlinear gain function, the disturbance observer can well approximate the unknown disturbance. Based on the output of the disturbance observer, an SMC scheme is presented for the nonlinear system, and the stability of the closed‐loop system is established using Lyapunov method. Finally, two simulation examples are presented to illustrate the features and the effectiveness of the proposed disturbance‐observer‐based SMC scheme. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.