Stability Analysis of Fractional-Order Plant with Delay

The field of fractional calculus has changed the way we model and control real-time phenomena. The fractional calculus-based models are more accurate and closer to reality. The purpose of this paper is mainly to investigate the performance of fractional-order systems with significant delay, in terms of stability. It is well known that introduction of delay in systems results in phase lag. This may lead to instability of the system. In this paper, a fractional-order plant model with delay has been chosen for analysis. The stability of the plant is verified by obtaining Nyquist plot and step response. The simulations have been performed in MATLAB and the results are compared with ideal responses. The effect of increase in delay on the performance of the fractional-order plant has also been studied.