Force distortion in resonance testing of structures with electro-dynamic vibration exciters

Abstract Harmonic input force distortion which arises when systems are excited with electrodynamic exciters is shown to be predominantly second harmonic, the major source of the harmonic distortion being due to the vibration exciter characteristics. These are examined by experimentally determining the magnetic field strength properties of a typical exciter and the results show these to be a non-linear even function. This information is used with the equations of motion of the excited which are simulated on an analog computer. The computed force characteristics are shown to compare very closely with experimental results. The amount of second harmonic force distortion generated at a system resonance is analyzed by considering a simple single degree-of-freedom model. It is shown that the amount of force distortion is related to the damping of the system under test and the ratio of the exciter stiffness to the system stiffness. It is also shown that the force input to a system near a system resonance can vary considerably, even though the input current to the exciter is constant. These effects are shown to be due to the forces arising from the mass and stiffness characteristics of the exciter being used. Experimental tests on a simple system confirm the theoretical predictions.