Autocorrelation Analysis in Time and Frequency Domains for Passive Structural Diagnostics

In this paper, modal frequency estimation by using autocorrelation functions in both the time and frequency domains for structural diagnostics is discussed. With popular structural health monitoring methods for periodic inspections such as with the “hammering test,” hearing is very useful for distinguishing differences between structural conditions. Hearing detects pitch and tone, and it is known that the auditory process is related to wave periodicity calculated from autocorrelation functions. Consequently, on the basis of the hammering test, modal frequencies can be estimated by autocorrelation, the same as hearing. In this paper, modal frequencies were estimated by using autocorrelation for constant structural health monitoring under a nonstationary noise condition. First, fundamental modal frequencies were estimated by using the autocorrelation of the time domain which was inspired by pitch detection of hearing. Second, higher modal frequency compositions were also analyzed by using autocorrelation in the frequency domain as with tones discrimination. From the results by conducting scale-model experiments under unknown nonstationary noise conditions, periods of fundamental modal frequency were derived by using periods histogram of autocorrelation functions. In addition, higher modal frequency estimation under nonstationary noises was also discussed.