DAMPING DETERMINATION FROM NOISY STATE MEASUREMENTS.

This paper describes a new method for accurately determining the unknown constants in a linear time-invariant state space dynamic model, using noisy state-observable measurements. The method may use for input any state-observable set of discrete time-domain measurements, either free or forced, and so it may be used to significantly reduce experimental difficulty and expense and may also be used on existing, operating systems in the field. It does not require forced frequency response data over a wide band of forcing frequencies as do many existing methods. Examples are provided which demonstrate the technique and establish that damping coefficients may be accurately determined even for sparse, noisy state measurements spanning only one or two cycles.