Visualizing Transient Structural Response by Expanding Spatially Incomplete Time History Data

Due to a limited number of accelerometers available for use, the shock trial for the DDG-51 class destroyer provided a spatially incomplete set of time history data. However, a visualization of the shock response of the entire ship is desired. To this end, finite element model reduction methods are employed to provide a transformation matrix which is used to expand this relatively small collection of data into the same number of degrees of freedom as the finite element model. Using this expanded set of time histories, it is possible to animate the transient response of the structure as a whole. This approach is investigated using computer-simulated transient response data from a finite element model of a flat plate. The use of static and dynamic reduction methods are explored in the creation of the transformation matrices required for the visualization of the expanded data. The animations are assessed based on a quantitative comparison with the full-order transient model response.