Real-time finite element dynamic substructuring using signal-based control strategies

Advanced finite element dynamic substructuring tests using innovative signal-based control strategies are presented in this paper. Substructuring tests decompose an entire structural system into parts. Nonlinear and critical components are physically tested at full size, whilst the remainder is simulated numerically in real-time. The success of the tests depends on two major requirements: (1) a robust controller to synchronize the numerical and physical responses; (2) fast, stable and accurate numerical simulation techniques. Hence, the proposed new substructuring strategies use a signal-based approach to design robust controllers, and develop real-time finite element methods to guarantee simulation accuracy. Signal-based controllers are advantageous, because their designs do not require a priori knowledge of the numerical and physical components. Implementation studies of a beam-spring-damper dynamically substructured system verify the effectiveness of the proposed new testing techniques.