Chaos, control and synchronization of a fractional order rotational mechanical system with a centrifugal governor

Chaos, its control and synchronization for a fractional order rotational mechanical system with a centrifugal governor are studied for both the autonomous and the nonautonomous cases. It is found that chaos exists in the fractional order systems with order less than and more than the number of states of the system. Controlling the chaotic motion of a fractional order system to its equilibrium point is obtained for both the autonomous and the nonautonomous cases. The rotational mechanical systems with the same fractional order and with the different fractional orders are synchronized by linear coupling for both the autonomous and the nonautonomous cases. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.