Numerical and experimental analysis of uncertainty on modal parameters estimated with the stochastic subspace method

Modal parameters of structures are often used as inputs for finite element model updating, vibration control, structural design or structural health monitoring (SHM). In order to test the robustness of these methods, it is a common practice to introduce uncertainty on the eigenfrequencies and modal damping coefficients under the form of a Gaussian perturbation, while the uncertainty on the mode shapes is modeled in the form of independent Gaussian noise at each measured location. A more rigorous approach consists however in adding uncorrelated noise on the time domain responses at each sensor before proceeding to an operational modal analysis. In this paper, we study in detail the resulting uncertainty when modal analysis is performed using the stochastic subspace identification method. A Monte-Carlo simulation is performed on a simply supported beam, and the uncertainty on a set of 5000 modal parameters identified with the stochastic subspace identification method is discussed. Next, 4000 experimental modal identifications of a small clamped–free steel plate equipped with 8 piezoelectric patches are performed in order to confirm the conclusions drawn in the numerical case study. In particular, the results point out that the uncertainty on eigenfrequencies and modal damping coefficients may exhibit a non-normal distribution, and that there is a non-negligible spatial correlation between the uncertainty on mode shapes at sensors of different locations.     

Modal analysis by free vibration response only for discrete and continuous systems

This work aims to develop the algorithm for modal analysis by free vibration response only (MAFVRO), in particular for the general or non-proportional viscous damping system model. If the structural displacement or acceleration response due to free vibration can be measured, the system response matrices, including the displacement, velocity and acceleration, can be obtained through numerical differential or integration methods. These response matrices can then be applied to the developed MAFVRO method to determine the structural modal parameters. The numerical differential and integration methods are introduced and adopted to establish the modal parameter prediction program for the non-proportional damping model of MAFVRO. This work also shows the applications of MAFVRO to the multiple degree-of-freedom (mdof) systems and the cantilever beam, respectively. Both the discrete and continuous systems are demonstrated for the feasibility of the MAFVRO algorithm. The developed method uses the free vibration output response only and can obtain the structural modal parameters successfully.     

Finite element analysis and experimental study on dynamic properties of a composite beam with viscoelastic damping

This paper investigates the frequency dependent viscoelastic dynamics of a multifunctional composite structure from finite element analysis and experimental validation. The frequency-dependent behavior of the stiffness and damping of a viscoelastic material directly affects the system's modal frequencies and damping, and results in complex vibration modes and differences in the relative phase of vibration. A second order three parameter Golla–Hughes–McTavish (GHM) method and a second order three fields Anelastic Displacement Fields (ADF) approach are used to implement the viscoelastic material model, enabling the straightforward development of time domain and frequency domain finite elements, and describing the frequency dependent viscoelastic behavior. Considering the parameter identification a strategy to estimate the fractional order of the time derivative and the relaxation time is outlined. Agreement between the curve fits using both the GHM and ADF and experiment is within 0.001 percent error. Continuing efforts are addressing the material modulus comparison of the GHM and the ADF model. There may be a theoretical difference between viscoelastic degrees of freedom at nodes and elements, but their numerical results are very close to each other in the specific frequency range of interest. With identified model parameters, numerical simulation is carried out to predict the damping behavior in its first two vibration modes. The experimental testing on the layered composite beam validates the numerical predication. Experimental results also show that elastic modulus measured from dynamic response yields more accurate results than static measurement, such as tensile testing, especially for elastomers.     

Stationary response of combined linear dynamic systems to stationary excitation

The stationary response of a broad class of combined linear systems to stationary random excitation is determined by the normal mode method. The systems are characterized by a viscously damped simple beam (or string, membrane, thin plate or shell, etc.) connected at discrete points to a multiplicity of viscously damped linear oscillators and/or masses. The solution of the free vibration problem by way of Green functions and the deterministic forced vibration problem by modal analysis for both proportional and non-proportional damping is reviewed. The orthogonality relation for the natural modes of vibration is used to derive a unique relationship between the cross-spectral density functions of the applied forces and the cross-spectral density functions of the generalized forces. Finally, the response spectral density functions and the mean square responses of the beam and oscillators are derived in closed form, exact for the proportionally damped system and approximate for the non-proportionally damped system.     

Experimental modal analysis of three small-scale vibration isolator models

This paper discusses the experimentally measured free–free dynamics of three small-scale vibration isolator models: two single-stage isolators and one two-stage isolator. The first comprises two steel plates and one rubber element, the second two steel plates and four rubber elements, and the third three steel plates and eight rubber elements. The natural frequencies, mode shapes and associated modal damping derived from curve-fitting procedures applied to the measured frequency-response functions (FRFs) are presented. The modal behaviour of the isolators is more complicated than might at first be assumed, a major feature being significant coupling between different degrees of freedom. The modal properties can be used to reconstruct a complete set of FRFs for the isolator, including FRFs which were not measured directly. Vibration isolators are often characterised through the use of four-pole parameters or various transmissibilities, and so methods for calculating these parameters from the reconstructed FRFs are also given.     

Modal identification based on continuous wavelet transform and ambient excitation tests

This paper deals with the use of the continuous wavelet transform for modal identification from ambient vibration tests. The wavelet analysis of the free responses of a linear mechanical system has been used to estimate its natural frequencies, viscous damping ratios, and mode shapes, using either the modulus or the phase of the wavelet transform with “ridge” and “skeleton” notions. This technique is extended in this paper, to the response from ambient excitation tests based on the equivalent formulation between the free response and the correlation function of a linear mechanical system under stationary stochastic excitation. The main novelties involve the new formulation of continuous wavelet transform and the use of the singular value decomposition algorithm for ridges and skeleton detection under the noisy conditions of ambient vibration tests. A complete procedure for modal identification of ambient response, including these new formulations, is presented and then applied to numerical examples and experimental test to illustrate its validity.     

Experimental Modal Damping Identification of a Mechanical Structure Using Video Magnification Technique

Vibration can be introduced in all mechanical fields in our life. Engineers try to avoid its negative effect leading in some cases to deformation in the machines. Many researches are dedicated to study the identification of damping especially in multi degree of freedom systems with particular attention to the source of energy dissipation. They focus on developing new tools or methods which may be used in real problems to obtain accurate results about the amount (or value) and the location of energy dissipation in the structure. The aim of this paper is to present an original procedure aims to experimentally determine the modal damping ratio of a mechanical structure. The proposed procedure consists of extracting the Frequency Response Function of the vibrating system using the video magnification method and then calculate the modal damping ratio using the 3-dB method. These experimental measurements are carried out by giving an external force on a cantilever beam, then the modal damping ratios are extracted using motion magnification. The obtained results show a relative error less than 4.2% between the experimental measurements and the analytical calculation for the Frequency Response Function (FRF) curves. The novelty of the paper is to combine the video magnification technique and the 3dB method in a procedure that aims to experimentally measure the modal damping of a mechanical structure. The proposed procedure in this paper represents the damping identification as a simple and easy engineering application.     

Vibration and dynamic stability of a traveling sandwich beam

The vibration and dynamic stability of a traveling sandwich beam are studied using the finite element method. The damping layer is assumed to be linear viscoelastic and almost incompressible. The extensional and shear moduli of the viscoelastic material are characterized by complex quantities. Complex-eigenvalue problems are solved by the state-space method, and the natural frequencies and modal loss factors of the composite beam are extracted. The effects of stiffness and thickness ratio of the viscoelastic and constrained layers on natural frequencies and modal loss factors are reported. Tension fluctuations are the dominant source of excitation in a traveling sandwich material, and the regions of dynamic instability are determined by modified Bolotin's method. Numerical results show that the constrained damping layer stabilizes the traveling sandwich beam.     

INDUCED DAMPING BY A NEARLY CONTINUOUS DISTRIBUTION OF NEARLY UNDAMPED OSCILLATORS: LINEAR ANALYSIS

The induced damping in a master oscillator contributed by a set of satellite oscillators is obtained in terms of a summation over a discrete distribution of the set. (The distribution is with respect to the resonance frequencies of the satellite oscillators in the set. The distribution is cast in an ascending order and is assumed to be centered about the resonance frequency of the master oscillator in isolation). If the modal overlap parameters are less than unity, significant undulations are present in the induced damping; the less the modal overlap parameters are compared with unity, the more prominent are the undulations. The undulations are largely suppressed when the local modal overlap parameters exceed unity. Moreover, appropriately averaging the undulations yields values for the induced damping that coincide with those obtained when the modal overlap parameters exceed unity. Further, it transpires that these common values are independent of the individual modal overlap parameters. When the summation is replaced by an integration, the first order results are undulations-free and the values, so obtained, again, coincide with those pertaining to modal overlap parameters that exceed unity. Without defining the excursions in the undulations, the transition from a discrete-to-a continuous distribution, that is implied by a summation-to-an integration, must assume that the modal overlap parameters exceed unity. In particular, without careful and meaningful qualifications, it may be misleading to assume, a priori, that the modal overlap parameters are equal to zero.     

The decoupling of damped linear systems in free or forced vibration

The purpose of this paper is to extend classical modal analysis to decouple any viscously damped linear system in non-oscillatory free vibration or in forced vibration. Based upon an exposition of how exponential decay in a system can be regarded as imaginary oscillations, the concept of damped modes of imaginary vibration is introduced. By phase synchronization of these real and physically excitable modes, a time-varying transformation is constructed to decouple non-oscillatory free vibration. When time drifts caused by viscous damping and by external excitation are both accounted for, a time-varying decoupling transformation for forced vibration is derived. The decoupling procedure devised herein reduces to classical modal analysis for systems that are undamped or classically damped. This paper constitutes the second and final part of a solution to the “classical decoupling problem.” Together with an earlier paper, a general methodology that requires only the solution of a quadratic eigenvalue problem is developed to decouple any damped linear system.     

Use of modal energy transfer as a new damping device with controllable bandwidth

This paper presents a new design of nonlinear dynamic absorber (NDA) using the phenomenon of modal energy transfer between the symmetric mode and the anti-symmetric mode of a curved beam. It can reduce the resonance vibration of a primary structure with a controllable operational frequency range. The energy transfer is initiated by an autoparametric vibration and the excitation force required is lowest when the ratio of the resonance frequencies of the first symmetric mode (ω₁) and first anti-symmetric mode (ω₂) is close to 2.The resonance frequency of the first anti-symmetric mode (ω₂) can be altered to control the operational frequency range. The autoparametric vibration response can be used to create an energy-dissipative region with a controllable bandwidth. It is also possible to create a non-dissipative region in between two dissipative regions. This is useful for providing damping for a conventional dynamic absorber without adding high damping material. The damping is due to the dissipation of energy to anti-symmetric mode. Numerical calculations indicate that the resonance vibration of a primary structure can be successfully reduced using this approach. The results are verified with experimental data.     

阻尼受击板的时域建模及声音合成

为满足声源辨识中对合成冲击声的迫切需求,建立了球-板撞击的时域模型,提出一种时域快速求解方法,并进行了实验验证.首先给出一种将时域有限差分法(FDTD)和模态展开法(MEM)相结合的时域混合方法,求解板的振动方程,并解决了混合方法中MEM的模态截断和初值问题,及两种方法中阻尼的一致性问题;随后,给出了简支矩形板的冲击声计算结果,通过与FDTD方法的运算量进行对比,验证了混合方法的高效性;最后,针对自由边界下的L形板进行了实验验证.结果表明,与传统FDTD方法相比,时域混合方法在保证合成冲击声精度的前提下可将计算效率提高100至1200倍。      

Effect of ACLD treatment configuration on damping performance of a flexible beam

A clamped–free beam with partial active constrained layer damping (ACLD) treatment is modelled by using the finite element method. The Golla–Hughes–McTavish (GEM) method is employed to account for the frequency-dependent characteristic of the viscoelastic material (VEM). As the resultant finite element model contains too many degrees of freedom due to the introduction of dissipative coordinates, a model reduction is performed to bring the system back to its original size. Finally, optimal output feedback gains are designed based on the reduced models. Numerical simulations are performed to study the effect of different ACLD treatment configurations, with various element numbers, spacing and locations, on the damping performance of a flexible beam. Results are presented for damping ratios of the first two vibration modes. It is found that to enhance the second mode damping, without deteriorating the first mode damping, splitting a single ACLD element into two and placing them at appropriate positions of the beam could be a possible solution.     

Robust vibration control based on identified models

In active vibration control, model accuracy of a vibration field is crucial to the stability and performance of closed-loop systems, especially multiple-input–multiple-output feedback control systems. A state-space model is popular for the design of vibration controllers. Its accuracy may be affected by mode truncation, errors in eigenfunctions for a modal model or errors in mass/stiffness coefficients of finite elements for a finite element model. There are few analytical results on controller stability margins with respect to these errors. This paper proposes a controller based on transfer matrices identified from the measurement data, on the ground that the accuracy of transfer matrices is manageable by identification algorithms. The proposed controller is able to introduce active damping to vibration fields. An analytical link is available between the stability margin and identification errors for the proposed controller. These are important features analyzed theoretically and verified numerically and experimentally here.     

复杂结构冲击声合成及实验验证

以复杂结构受击振动响应的时域计算为目的, 讨论了结构阻尼的计算方法, 给出一种用于冲击声合成的综合数值方法, 并进行了实验验证. 首先, 考虑到阻尼是影响瞬态振动时变特性的重要因素, 详细讨论了两种模态阻尼的计算方法; 其次, 对阻尼板的受击振动和声辐射进行了时域仿真, 并与时域有限差分法的计算结果进行对比, 显示出两种声音合成方法的计算结果具有高度的一致性; 最后, 针对有限长圆柱壳的受击振动, 将合成声与实验录音进行了对比研究. 结果表明, 合成声与实际录音的时域包络、频谱结构以及衰减趋势基本一致, 证明了采用数值方法进行冲击声合成的有效性. 关键词： 声音合成 模态阻尼 冲击声 数值方法     

Modeling of axially moving wire with damping: Eigenfunctions, orthogonality and applications in slurry wiresaws

The classical modal analysis is applied to derive the analytical solution and to obtain the free vibration response of damped axially moving wire in this paper. The corresponding eigenvalues, eigenfunctions, and orthogonal relationship are presented. The orthogonality property and closed-form solution of free vibration response with damping are the main contributions of this study. In addition, the analytical modal analysis, with damping factor removed, shows agreement with those in existing research literature of moving wire without damping. The specific relevance of this general solution is discussed with respect to the moving wire in a slurry wiresaw. The theoretical definition of the damping factor of the slurry wiresaw system is also provided.     

Nonlinear vibration of micromachined asymmetric resonators

In this paper, the nonlinear dynamics of a beam-type resonant structure due to stretching of the beam is addressed. The resonant beam is excited by attached electrostatic comb-drive actuators. This structure is modeled as a thin beam-lumped mass system, in which an initial axial force is exerted to the beam. This axial force may have different origins, e.g., residual stress due to micro-machining. The governing equations of motion are derived using the mode summation method, generalized orthogonality condition, and multiple scales method for both free and forced vibrations. The effects of the initial axial force, modal damping of the beam, the location, mass, and rotary inertia of the lumped mass on the free and forced vibration of the resonator are investigated. For the case of the forced vibration, the primary resonance of the first mode is investigated. It has been shown that there are certain combinations of the model parameters depicting a remarkable dynamic behavior, in which the second to first resonance frequencies ratio is close to three. These particular cases result in the internal resonance between the first and second modes. This phenomenon is investigated in detail.     

IDENTIFICATION OF MODAL PARAMETERS FROM MEASURED OUTPUT DATA USING VECTOR BACKWARD AUTOREGRESSIVE MODEL

In this paper, a modal identification system that is based on the vector backward autoregressive (VBAR) model has been developed for the identification of natural frequencies, damping ratios and mode shapes of structures from measured output data. The modal identification using forward autoregressive approach has some problems in discriminating the structure modes from spurious modes. On the contrary, the VBAR approach provides a determinate boundary for the separation of system modes from spurious modes, and an eigenvalue filter for the selection of physical modes is existent in the proposed method. For convenience of application, the backward state equation established from VBAR model is transformed into a forward state equation, which is termed as transformed VFAR model in this paper. In addition, the extraction of equivalent system matrix of state equation of motion for structures from the transformed VFAR model has been developed, and then the normal modes can be calculated from the identified equivalent system matrix. Two examples of modal identification are carried out to demonstrate the availability and effectiveness of the proposed backward approach: (1) Numerical modal identification for a three-degree-of-freedom dynamic system with noise level in 20% of r.m.s of measured output data; (2) experimental modal identification of a cantilever beam. Finally, to show the advantage of the proposed VBAR approach on the selection of physical modes, the modal identification by stochastic subspace method was performed. The results from both methods are compared.     

Free vibration of thin walled open section beams with constrained damping treatment

Free vibration characteristics of a thin walled, open cross-section beam, with constrained damping layers at the flanges, are investigated. Both uncoupled transverse vibration and the coupled bending-torsion oscillations, of a beam of a top-hat section, are considered. Numerical results are presented for natural frequencies and modal loss factors in the first two modes of simply supported and clamped-clamped beams. For the uncoupled mode the constrained damping treatment is more effective than an unconstrained one, but for the coupled mode the effect is just the opposite.     

ROBUST VIBRATION CONTROL OF A BEAM USING THE H∞-BASED CONTROLLER WITH MODEL ERROR COMPENSATOR

The vibration control of a flexible beam subjected to arbitrary, unmeasurable disturbance forces is investigated in this paper. The beam is analyzed by using modal expansion theorem. The independent modal space control is adopted for the active vibration control. Discrete sensors and actuators are used here. The modal filters are used as the state estimator to obtain the modal co-ordinates and modal velocities for the state feedback control. Because of the existence of the disturbance forces, the vibration control only with the state feedback control law cannot suppress the vibration well. The method of disturbance forces cancellation is then added in the feedback loop. In order to implement the disturbance forces cancellation, the unknown disturbance forces must be observed. The model error compensator is employed to observe the unknown disturbance modal forces for the direct cancellation. After the implementation of the disturbance modal forces cancellation, there are still some residual disturbance modal forces which excite the beam. The disturbance attenuation problem is of concern in the design of the state feedback control law. For ensuring that influence of the residual disturbance modal forces is reduced to an acceptable level, the robust static H_∞ state feedback controller is designed. The vibration control performances of the feedback control with the H_∞ controller and the disturbance forces cancellation are discussed.