Optimal input signal design for aircraft flutter model parameters identification

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper considers optimal input signal design for flutter model parameters identification, as input signal is the first step during the whole identification process. According to the constructed flutter stochastic model with observed noises, separable least squares identification and set membership identification are proposed to identify those unknown model parameters for statistical noise and unknown but bounded noise, respectively. The common trace operation with respect to the asymptotic variance matrix is minimized to solve the power spectral for the optimal input signal in the framework of statistical noise. Moreover, for the unknown bout bounded noise, the radius of information, corresponding to the established parameter uncertainty interval, is minimized to give the optimal input signal.

Design/methodology/approach

First, model identification for aircraft flutter is reviewed as one problem of parameter identification and this aircraft flutter model corresponds to one stochastic model, whose input signal and output are corrupted by external noises. Second, for aircraft flutter statistical model with statistical noise, separable least squares identification is proposed to identify the unknown model parameters, then the optimal input signal is designed to satisfy one given performance function. Third, for aircraft flutter model with unknown but bounded noise, set membership identification is proposed to solve the parameter set for each unknown model parameter. Then, the optimal input signal is designed by applying the idea of the radius of information with unknown but bounded noise.

Findings

This aircraft flutter model corresponds to one stochastic model, whose input signal and output are corrupted by external noises. Then identification strategy and optimal input signal design are studied for aircraft flutter model parameter identification with statistical noise and unknown but bounded noise, respectively.

Originality/value

To the best knowledge of the authors, this problem of the model parameter identification for aircraft flutter was proposed by their previous work, and they proposed many identification strategies to identify these model parameters. This paper proposes two novel identification strategies and opens a new subject about optimal input signal design for statistical noise and unknown noise, respectively.

Citation

Jianhong, W. (2021), "Optimal input signal design for aircraft flutter model parameters identification", Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 93 No. 10, pp. 1559-1572. https://doi.org/10.1108/AEAT-09-2020-0205