What does FOPD mean in UNCLASSIFIED

FOPD stands for Fractional Order Proportional Derivative, which is a control technique used in many engineering fields to regulate the dynamics of systems by using fractional calculus.

Traditional PD controllers use integer derivatives in their calculations, whereas FOPD uses an arbitrary degree of derivative or integration (known as the order) to amplify or reduce the output signal of the system. As such, FOPD enables smoother and more robust control than traditional PD controllers.

The fractional calculus describes complex and nonlinear systems that can't be accurately described using standard calculus methods. By employing fractional calculus, it allows for more precise modeling of such systems and hence more accurate regulation with better performance than standard methods.

Due to the nature of fractional derivatives leading to higher computational costs, implementation of this technique will take longer than a traditional PD controller implementation without necessarily guaranteeing any high performance gains in terms of accuracy or control timings. Furthermore, despite its theoretically superior results compared to classical control techniques in certain cases, these results have yet been replicated in real-world applications since its development is comparatively recent and ongoing research efforts are still needed before all its benefits can be fully realized.