Damage identification for beams in noisy conditions based on Teager energy operator-wavelet transform modal curvature

• We discuss the deficiency of traditional modal curvature: susceptible to noise.
• We propose a new TEO-WT modal curvature superior to traditional modal curvature.
• TEO-WT modal curvature is analytically demonstrated by detecting cracks in beams.
• TEO-WT modal curvature is experimentally validated using non-contact measurement.

Modal curvatures have been widely used in the detection of structural damage. Attractive features of modal curvature include great sensitivity to damage and instant determination of damage location. However, an intrinsic deficiency in a modal curvature is its susceptibility to the measurement noise present in the displacement mode shape that produces the modal curvature, likely obscuring the features of damage. To address this deficiency, the Teager energy operator together with wavelet transform is tactically utilized to treat modal curvature, producing a new modal curvature, termed the Teager energy operator-wavelet transform modal curvature. This new modal curvature features distinct capabilities of suppressing noise, canceling global trends, and intensifying the singular feature caused by damage for a measured mode shape involving noise. These features maximize the sensitivity to damage and accuracy of damage localization. The proposed modal curvature is demonstrated in several analytical cases of cracked pinned–pinned, clamped–free and clamped–clamped beams, with emphasis on characterizing damage in noisy conditions, and it is further validated by an experimental program using a scanning laser vibrometer to acquire mode shapes of a cracked aluminum beam. The Teager energy operator-wavelet transform modal curvature essentially overcomes the deficiency of conventional modal curvature, providing a new dynamic feature well suited for damage characterization in noisy environments. (The Matlab code for implementing Teager energy operator-wavelet transform modal curvature can be provided by the corresponding author on request.)