The random structural response due to a turbulent boundary layer excitation

Abstract

In this paper, the structural random response due to the turbulent boundary layer excitation is investigated. Using the mode shapes and natural frequencies of an undamped structural operator, a fully analytical model has been assembled. The auto and cross-spectral densities of kinematic quantities are so determined through exact analytical expansions. In order to reduce the computational costs associated with the needed number of modes, it has been tested an innovative methodology based on a scaling procedure. In fact, by using a reduced spatial domain and defining accordingly an augmented artificial damping, it is possible to get the same energy response with reduced computational costs. The item to be checked was the power spectral density of the displacement response for a flexural simply supported beam; the very simple structure was selected just to highlight the main characteristics of the technique. In principle, it can be applied successfully to any quantity derived from the modal operators. The criterion and the rule of scaling the domain are also presented, investigated and discussed. The obtained results are encouraging and they allow thinking successfully to the definition of procedure that could represent a bridge between modal and energy methods.