Recursive and batch Bayesian estimation of exponential non-viscous damping systems

Abstract

Non-viscous damping systems include a convolutional integral and a kernel function in their equation of motion to incorporate time-hysteresis damping effects, which are present in dynamical behavior of most engineering materials yet are absent in commonly used viscous damping models. When an exponential kernel function is adopted by the non-viscous model, the unique damping characteristic is realized by an additional model parameter known as the relaxation parameter. The objective of this paper is to investigate various aspects of estimation problems on exponential non-viscous damping systems through recursive and batch Bayesian time-domain frameworks, with a focus on how the relaxation parameter introduces additional complexity in estimation problems compared to viscous damping systems. Two well-established algorithms are employed: the unscented Kalman filter (UKF) for recursive Bayesian estimation and the transitional Markov Chain Monte Carlo (TMCMC) for batch Bayesian estimation. We first analyze the complexity of estimation problems in SDOF viscous and non-viscous damping systems. The TMCMC algorithm offers a quantitative analysis that reveals greater uncertainty and stronger parameter correlation in non-viscous damping systems compared to viscous damping systems. Subsequently, the same SDOF systems are utilized to study recursive Bayesian estimation via UKF such as the effects of measurement data type, discretization, and initial conditions. Based on the results of the TMCMC algorithm, we study the dependence of UKF performance on the initial condition for various SDOF non-viscous damping systems with different levels of non-viscosity. In the end, a laboratory experiment compares the estimation results between viscous and non-viscous damping systems using both TMCMC and UKF.