Simulated and experimental studies on identification of impact load with the transient statistical energy analysis method

• The impact load is identified using the transient statistical energy analysis method.
• The impact load input energy is identified from the energy balance equation.
• The load amplitude spectrum is derived from input energy under the constant value assumption.
• The time history of impact load is reconstructed using a proposed parameter fitting approach.
• The method is qualified by simulated and experimental studies on impact load identification of two-plate and three-plate coupling systems.

A new identification method of impact load is proposed based on the transient statistical energy analysis theory in the paper. Firstly, the location and input energy of impact load are identified according to the energy balance equation with a two-stage identification scheme from the averaged kinetic energy responses of subsystems. Secondly, the impact load amplitude spectrum is derived from the identified impact load input energy based on the Parseval theorem under the constant value assumption within each analysis frequency band. Lastly, a parametric fitting approach is developed to reconstruct further the time history of impact load for the given time domain waveform from the identified impact load amplitude spectrum. The impact load identification approach is qualified through the simulated and experimental studies for a two-plate coupling structural system and the simulated study for a three-plate coupling structure system. The results show that the location and input energy of impact load can be identified accurately using the presented method. The derived impact load amplitude spectrums have reasonable agreements with the real ones. As a result, the reconstructed impact load time histories by the fitting method agree well with the real impact load time histories. The present approach provides an effective and feasible way for impact load identification of engineering structures.