Fractional‐order multivariable composite model reference adaptive control

Summary A novel multivariable composite model reference adaptive control scheme is developed for multivariable fractional‐order systems with arbitrary relative degree. Firstly, by introducing right gain matrix to substitute left gain matrix, the stringent symmetry assumption is no longer required. The design procedures of controller with certain and uncertain high‐frequency gain matrix are then provided, respectively. The (robust) stability of the resulting closed‐loop control system is investigated by indirect Lyapunov method. It is shown that the composite model reference adaptive control can achieve better performance on output tracking than that of model reference adaptive control. Finally, the effectiveness and applicability of the proposed control scheme are demonstrated in 3 numerical examples.