  We have applied the Melnikov criterion to examine a global homoclinic
bifurcation and transition to chaos in a case of a double well dynamical system
with a nonlinear fractional damping term and external excitation. The usual
double well Duffing potential having a negative square term and positive
quartic term has been generalized to a double well potential with a negative
square term and a positive one with an arbitrary real exponent $q > 2$. We have
also used a fractional damping term with an arbitrary power $p$ applied to
velocity which enables one to cover a wide range of realistic damping factors:
from dry friction $p \to 0$ to turbulent resistance phenomena $p=2$.
  Using perturbation methods we have found a critical forcing amplitude $\mu_c$
above which the system may behave chaotically. Our results show that the
vibrating system is less stable in transition to chaos for smaller $p$
satisfying an exponential scaling low. The critical amplitude $\mu_c$ as an
exponential function of $p$.
  The analytical results have been illustrated by numerical simulations using
standard nonlinear tools such as
  Poincare maps and the maximal Lyapunov exponent. As usual for chosen system
parameters we have identified a chaotic motion above the critical Melnikov
amplitude $\mu_c$.
