Fuzzy stochastic elements method. Spectral approach

We study a complex dynamic problem, which concerns a structure with uncertain parameters subjected to a stochastic excitation. Formulation of such a problem introduces fuzzy random variables for parameters of the structure and fuzzy stochastic processes for the load process. The uncertainty has two sources, namely the randomness of structural parameters such as geometry characteristics, material and damping properties, load process and imprecision of the theoretical model and incomplete information or uncertain data. All of these have a great influence on the response of the structure. By analyzing such problems we describe the random variability using the probability theory and the imprecision by use of fuzzy sets. Due to the fact that it is difficult to find an analytic expression for the inversion of the stochastic operator in the stochastic differential equation, a number of approximate methods have been proposed in the literature which can be connected to the finite element method. To evaluate the effects of excitation in the frequency domain we use the spectral density function. The spectral analysis is widely used in stochastic dynamics field of linear systems for stationary random excitation. The concept of the evolutionary spectral density is used in the case of non-stationary random excitation.We solve the considered problem using fuzzy stochastic finite element method. The solution is based on the idea of a fuzzy random frequency response vector for stationary input excitation and a transient fuzzy random frequency response vector for the fuzzy non-stationary one. We use the fuzzy random frequency response vector and the transient fuzzy random frequency response vector in the context of spectral analysis in order to determine the influence of structural uncertainty on the fuzzy random response of the structure.We study a linear system with random parameters subjected to two particular cases of stochastic excitation in a frequency domain. The first one when the excitation is a weakly stationary stochastic process with a given spectral density function and the second one which is constituted by a non stationary process with evolutionary spectral density function. We derive the formulas for both cases. The presented computational algorithm has a quite general scope and may be used in the vibration analysis of different kinds of structures.

► A structure with uncertain parameters under stochastic excitation is considered.
► Fuzzy stationary and non-stationary excitations are analyzed.
► The problem is solved using fuzzy stochastic finite element method.
► The idea of fuzzy random frequency response vector is applied.