Nonlinear System Identification of Multi-Degree-of-Freedom Systems

Abstract

A nonlinear system identification methodology based on theprinciple of harmonic balance is extended tomulti-degree-of-freedom systems. The methodology, called HarmonicBalance Nonlinearity IDentification (HBNID), is then used toidentify two theoretical two-degree-of-freedom models and anexperimental single-degree-of freedom system. The three modelsand experiments deal with self-excited motions of afluid-structure system with a subcritical Hopf bifurcation. Theperformance of HBNID in capturing the stable and unstable limitcycles in the global bifurcation behavior of these systems is alsostudied. It is found that if the model structure is well known,HBNID performs well in capturing the unknown parameters. If themodel structure is not well known, however, HBNID captures thestable limit cycle but not the unstable limit cycle.