Deterministic model updating is now a mature technology widely applied to large-scale industrial structures. It is concerned with the calibration of the parameters of a single model based on one set of test data. It is, of course, well known that different analysts produce different finite element models, make different physics-based assumptions, and parameterize their models differently. Also, tests carried out on the same structure, by different operatives, at different times, under different ambient conditions produce different results. There is no unique model and no unique data. Therefore, model updating needs to take account of modeling and test-data variability. Much emphasis is now placed on what has become known as stochastic model updating where data are available from multiple nominally identical test structures. In this paper two currently prominent stochastic model updating techniques (sensitivity-based updating and Bayesian model updating) are described and applied to the DLR AIRMOD structure.

The process adopted for continuous monitoring of eigenfrequencies and damping ratios during the test flight of a research aircraft is presented. This comprises measurement hardware, distributed data acquisition system and software architecture in order to stream, store, and simultaneously analyze data with the methods of Operational Modal Analysis. The algorithms utilize only measured output time histories to identify modal parameters at different flight conditions. The autonomous implementations of the Stochastic Subspace Identification (SSI) and the Least-Square Complex Frequency domain (LSCF) algorithms provide estimations of the aeroelastic damping within a few seconds

Considerable progresses have been made in computer-aided engineering for the high fidelity analysis of structures and systems. Traditionally, computer models are calibrated using deterministic procedures. However, different analysts produce different models based on different modelling approximations and assumptions. In addition, identically constructed structures and systems show different characteristic between each other. Hence, model updating needs to take account modelling and test-data variability. Stochastic model updating techniques such as sensitivity approach and Bayesian updating are now recognised as powerful approaches able to deal with unavoidable uncertainty and variability. This paper presents a high fidelity surrogate model that allows to significantly reduce the computational costs associated with the Bayesian model updating technique. A set of Artificial Neural Networks are proposed to replace multi non-linear input-output relationships of finite element (FE) models. An application for updating the model parameters of the FE model of the DRL-AIRMOD structure is presented. © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd