Using optimization algorithms to detect damages on free-free beam based on dynamic results

Abstract

This article describes a Modal Analysis method for detecting damage in free-free beams using natural frequency data. The method involves updating a numerical model of the beam with experimental or reference natural frequencies to determine the damage location and damage index. The accuracy of the method was verified through simulations and experiments on beams with both single and double damage zones. The results demonstrate that the method is effective in detecting the damage location for single damage zone and double damage zones with the same or different damage index. However, when the two damage zones are close together, the method that updates the model through PSO optimization algorithm using the reference frequency data may produce inaccurate results. Furthermore, when using experimental frequency data for damage beams, the results indicate that the method has a damage location error of approximately 3.5% along the entire beam length, which is considered acceptable in practical applications. The natural frequency-based damage detection method described in this article offers a useful tool for the assessment of damage in free-free beams and can be effectively combined with visual inspection techniques