Nonlinear structural identification by the “Reverse Path” spectral method

When dealing with nonlinear dynamical systems, it is important to have efficient, accurate and reliable tools for estimating both the linear and nonlinear system parameters from measured data. An approach for nonlinear system identification widely studied in recent years is “Reverse Path”. This method is based on broad-band excitation and treats the nonlinear terms as feedback forces acting on an underlying linear system. Parameter estimation is performed in the frequency domain using conventional multiple-input–multiple-output or multiple-input–single-output techniques. This paper presents a generalized approach to apply the method of “Reverse Path” on continuous mechanical systems with multiple nonlinearities. The method requires few spectral calculations and is therefore suitable for use in iterative processes to locate and estimate structural nonlinearities. The proposed method is demonstrated in both simulations and experiments on continuous nonlinear mechanical structures. The results show that the method is effective on both simulated as well as experimental data.