Damage Assessment of a Nonlinear Space Antenna Structure Using Quasi-Linearization Methods

Abstract

Health monitoring of structural systems for the detection of damage is a critical practice in determining their safety and service life. A large amount of research has been done in applying damage detection analysis to linear models of structures. Although many real structures exhibit nonlinear behavior before or as a result of damage, there are currently few tools to apply damage detection analysis to structures that are modeled by nonlinear differential equations. The objective of this study is to initiate a facet of damage detection analysis applied to such nonlinear models of structures. Given a parameterized ordinary differential equation model of a structural system (linear or nonlinear), parameter estimation can serve as an assessment of possible or known damage to the structure. A numerical analysis of estimating parameters in a nonlinear structural model is investigated by applying a quasi-linearization method. The analysis is successfully performed on a nonlinear eight-degree-of-freedom space antenna model.