Implementation of fractional order PID controller for an AVR system

In recent years, the research and studies on fractional order (FO) modeling of dynamic systems and controllers are quite advancing. To improve the stability and dynamic response of automatic voltage regulator (AVR) system, we presented fractional Order PID (FOPID) controller by employing Genetic Algorithm (GA) and Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) techniques. We designed a masked fractional order PID block in Matlab to implement the controller for any type of system in Simulink. Comparisons are made with a PID controller from standpoints of transient response and robustness characteristics. It is shown that the proposed FOPID controller can improve the performance of the AVR in all the aspects.