Design and analysis of a multivariable fractional order controller for a non-minimum phase system

Two control strategies for multivariable processes are proposed that are based on a decentralised and a steady state decoupling approach. The designed controllers are fractional order PIs. The efficiency and robustness of the proposed strategies is tested and validated using a non-minimum phase process. Previous research for the same non-minimum phase process has proven that simple decentralised or decoupling techniques do not yield satisfactorily results and a multivariable IMC controller has been proposed as an alternative solution. The simulation results presented in this paper, as well as the experimental results, show that the proposed fractional order multivariable control strategies ensure an improved closed loop performance and disturbance rejection, as well as increased robustness to modelling uncertainties, as compared to traditional multivariable IMC controllers.