A multi-sine sweep method for the characterization of weak non-linearities ; plant noise and variability estimation.

Weak non-linearities in vibrating structures can be characterized by a signal-model approach based on cascade of Hammerstein models. The experiment consists in exciting a device with a sine sweep at different levels, in order to assess the evolutions of non linearities on a wide frequency range. A method developed previously, based on exponential sine sweep, is able to give an approximative identification of the Hammerstein models, but cannot make the distinction between nonlinear distortion and stationary plant noise. Therefore, this paper proposes improvements on the method that provide a more precise estimation of the Hammerstein models through the cancellation of the plant noise: it relies on the repetition of the signal on a certain amount of periods (multi-sine sweeps) and then on the consideration of the synchronous average out of the different periods from the resulting signal. Mathematical foundations and practical implementation of the method are discussed. The second main point of improvement concerning the study of the vibrating device is the use of the Bootstrap analysis. By considering some periods randomly chosen among the multisine sweep, one can study the variability of the experiments. The method becomes more robust.