Flutter Test Data Processing Based on Improved Hilbert-Huang Transform

Flutter tests are conducted primarily for the purpose of modal parameter estimation and flutter boundary prediction, the accuracy of which is severely affected by the acquired data quality, structural modal density, and nonstationary conditions. An improved Hilbert-Huang Transform (HHT) algorithm is presented in this paper which mitigates the typical mode mixing effect via modulation. The algorithm is validated by theory, by numerical simulation, and per actual flight flutter test data. The results show that the proposed method could extract the flutter model parameters and predict the flutter speed more accurately, which is feasible for the current flutter test data processing.