Simulation of stationary Gaussian/non-Gaussian stochastic processes based on stochastic harmonic functions

A new model is proposed to represent and simulate Gaussian/non-Gaussian stochastic processes. In the proposed model, stochastic harmonic function (SHF) is extended to represent multivariate Gaussian process firstly. Compared with the conventional spectral representation method (SRM), the SHF based model requires much fewer variables and Cholesky decompositions. Then, SHF based model is further extended to univariate/multivariate non-Gaussian stochastic process simulation. The target non-Gaussian process can be obtained from the corresponding underlying Gaussian processes by memoryless nonlinear transformation. For arbitrarily given marginal probability distribution function (PDF), the covariance function of the underlying multivariate Gaussian process can be determined easily by introducing the Mehler’s formula. And when the incompatibility between the target non-Gaussian power spectral density (PSD) or PSD matrix and marginal PDF exists, the calibration of the target non-Gaussian spectrum will be required. Hence, the proposed model can be regarded as SRM to efficiently generate Gaussian/non-Gaussian processes. Finally, several numerical examples are addressed to show the effectiveness of the proposed method.     

Efficient stationary multivariate non-Gaussian simulation based on a Hermite PDF model

An efficient stationary multivariate non-Gaussian simulation method is developed using spectral representation and third order Hermite polynomial translation. An approximate closed form relationship is employed to identify the Hermite translation parameters based on target skewness and kurtosis. This preserves a high degree of accuracy over the entire admissible range of the Hermite translation, and eliminates the need for iterative solution of the translation parameters. The Hermite PDF model is suitable for a wide range of strongly non-Gaussian stochastic process. In addition, an explicit bidirectional relationship between the target non-Gaussian and Gaussian correlation is developed to eliminate the need for iteration or numerical integration to identify the underlying Gaussian correlation. Examples apply the simulation method to both theoretical targets and experimental wind pressure data.     

A simple and efficient methodology to approximate a general non-Gaussian stationary stochastic process by a translation process

Some widely used methodologies for simulation of non-Gaussian processes rely on translation process theory which imposes certain compatibility conditions between the non-Gaussian power spectral density function (PSDF) and the non-Gaussian probability density function (PDF) of the process. In many practical applications, the non-Gaussian PSDF and PDF are assigned arbitrarily; therefore, in general they can be incompatible. Several techniques to approximate such incompatible non-Gaussian PSDF/PDF pairs with a compatible pair have been proposed that involve either some iterative scheme on simulated sample functions or some general optimization approach. Although some of these techniques produce satisfactory results, they can be time consuming because of their nature. In this paper, a new iterative methodology is developed that estimates a non-Gaussian PSDF that: (a) is compatible with the prescribed non-Gaussian PDF, and (b) closely approximates the prescribed incompatible non-Gaussian PSDF. The corresponding underlying Gaussian PSDF is also determined. The basic idea is to iteratively upgrade the underlying Gaussian PSDF using the directly computed (through translation process theory) non-Gaussian PSDF at each iteration, rather than through expensive ensemble averaging of PSDFs computed from generated non-Gaussian sample functions. The proposed iterative scheme possesses two major advantages: it is conceptually very simple and it converges extremely fast with minimal computational effort. Once the underlying Gaussian PSDF is determined, generation of non-Gaussian sample functions is straightforward without any need for iterations. Numerical examples are provided demonstrating the capabilities of the methodology.     

高斯/非高斯混合随机风压场的模拟方法

针对作用于屋盖结构随机风压场样本的统计特性要求,基于零记忆非线性转化法的理论,给出了随机风压场的具体模拟过程。其中,解决了两个关键问题：（1）推导了服从对数正态分布和韦布尔分布的多点非高斯随机过程向量的标准化协方差,与相应高斯随机过程向量的标准化协方差的函数转化关系;（2）提出了分解谱密度函数修正法,解决利用谐波合成法模拟多点高斯随机过程向量时,功率谱密度函数矩阵在某些频率点出现负定的问题。经过具体算例表明,所提出的方法能生成合乎风洞实验数据统计特性要求的随机风压场样本。     

A copula-based Gaussian mixture closure method for stochastic response of nonlinear dynamic systems

Gaussian closure method is commonly used in the analysis of nonlinear stochastic systems. However, Gaussian closure may lead to unacceptable errors when system response is very much different from being Gaussian, and accuracy of the method decreases as the nonlinearity of the system increases. The need for better accuracy in strongly non-linear problems has caused the development of non-Gaussian closure schemes. In this paper, we develop a new copula-based Gaussian mixture closure method for randomly excited nonlinear systems. Our method relies on the assumption of marginal PDF of response in terms of finite Gaussian mixture model, and the derivation of joint PDF with aid of dependence modeling of Gaussian copula. By substituting the non-Gaussian PDF representation into moment equations of nonlinear system, we further develop an optimization-based closure scheme for the solution of the unknown parameters in joint PDF. In this way, PDF and thus, moments of response of highly nonlinear system can be described in a more flexible and robust way. Effectiveness of the new closure method is demonstrated by a nonlinear and a Duffing oscillator that are subjected to Gaussian white noise. The results are compared with the Gaussian closure and exact solution. It has been shown that Gaussian closure is a special case of the new closure method, and accuracy of Gaussian closure is the lower bound of that of the new closure method.     

Simulation of higher-order stochastic processes by spectral representation

The Spectral Representation Method is generalized for simulation of asymmetrically nonlinear (skewed higher-order) stochastic processes. This is achieved by deriving new orthogonal increments for the spectral process in the Cramér spectral representation that include wave interactions and satisfy third-order orthogonality properties. These orthogonal increments are derived by introducing two new quantities – the pure power spectrum and the partial bicoherence – that decouple the contributions of single waves and wave interactions in the Fourier-type expansion of a stochastic process. The further extension to fourth and higher-order processes is discussed. Several mathematical examples demonstrate the capabilities of the proposed methodology to generate general third-order stochastic processes. The method is then applied to the generation of turbulent wind velocities characterized from Large Eddy Simulations of the atmospheric boundary layer.     

非高斯风压峰值因子估计:基于矩的转换过程法的对比研究

建筑围护结构抗风设计需要准确估计非高斯风压极值或者峰值因子。对于非高斯风压峰值因子估计,常用的基于矩的转换过程法有Hermite多项式模型（HPM）、Johnson转换模型（JTM）及平移广义对数正态分布（SGLD）模型。极值通常由母本概率密度函数（PDF）的尾部决定,现阶段对于三种模型基于相同前四阶矩预测的非高斯母本PDF尾部的差别尚不清楚,自然,对于这三种模型预测的极值或者峰值因子的差别尚无答案。为了探明三种模型的异同,从而提供一定的选取原则,该文就三种方法对非高斯风压峰值因子估计效果进行了系统的对比研究。首先从理论上对比了三种方法预测得到的母本PDF的差异和估计的峰值因子差别;其次,选用长时距风洞试验风压数据检验了三种方法对非高斯风压峰值因子的估计效果。结果表明在三种模型都适用的偏度和峰度组合范围内,HPM对非高斯风压峰值因子估计结果相比SGLD模型和JTM模型估计结果更准确。     

Extreme value distributions for nonlinear transformations of vector Gaussian processes

Approximations are developed for the marginal and joint probability distributions for the extreme values, associated with a vector of non-Gaussian random processes. The component non-Gaussian processes are obtained as nonlinear transformations of a vector of stationary, mutually correlated, Gaussian random processes and are thus, mutually dependent. The multivariate counting process, associated with the number of level crossings by the component non-Gaussian processes, is modelled as a multivariate Poisson point process. An analytical formulation is developed for determining the parameters of the multivariate Poisson process. This, in turn, leads to the joint probability distribution of the extreme values of the non-Gaussian processes, over a given time duration. For problems not amenable for analytical solutions, an algorithm is developed to determine these parameters numerically. The proposed extreme value distributions have applications in time-variant reliability analysis of randomly vibrating structural systems. The method is illustrated through three numerical examples and their accuracy is examined with respect to estimates from full scale Monte Carlo simulations of vector non-Gaussian processes.     

Multivariate non-Gaussian process simulation based on HPM-JTM hybrid model

For the simulation of wind field or wind load, the Gaussian assumption is not applicable in some situations. Hence the simulation of non-Gaussian process becomes significant. In order to avoid the iteration and maintain a wide application range, a HPM-JTM hybrid model is proposed based on translation process. During the simulation, the correlation function of the related Gaussian process can be solved by analytical or numerical expression. Through a numerical example, the application of the model is presented. Results show that the model provides a reasonable estimation for the target case, which can be regarded as an appropriate candidate for the simulation of multivariate non-Gaussian process.     

高斯流场中单自由度线性体系非高斯振动响应试验研究

对于风湍流等高斯分布流速场中的线性结构体系,当考虑荷载中脉动流速二次项的影响时,理论上其振动响应将呈现非高斯分布特性。基于调试得到的不同粗糙工况高斯流场,开展了单自由度线性体系顺流向振动响应测试,研究了单自由度线性体系加速度响应的非高斯分布特性,分析了粗糙度对响应非高斯成分的影响,讨论了三种常见非高斯概率密度逼近方法对响应的拟合效果。试验结果表明:试验高斯流场中单自由度线性体系的顺流向加速度响应主要呈现出尖峰非高斯分布特征,且随着紊流度的提高,响应非高斯性有增强的趋势;响应的非高斯概率密度宜采用高斯混合模型方法进行拟合。     

Simulation of non-Gaussian field applied to wind pressure fluctuations

A simulation algorithm to generate non-Gaussian wind pressure fields is proposed. This algorithm uses the correlation–distortion method based on translation vector processes. Conditions on the matrix of cross-covariance functions are given to assure the applicability of the model. The proposed method does not require iterative procedures and it is well suited when experimental data are available. In particular it requires cross-covariance functions and marginal distribution that can be directly estimated from data. To illustrate the procedure, the model is calibrated on experimental results obtained from wind tunnel tests on a tall building. The efficiency of the proposed methodology for reproducing the non-Gaussian nature of pressure fluctuations on separated flow regions is demonstrated.     

泊松白噪声激励下斜拉索的面内随机振动

目前针对斜拉索非线性随机振动的研究已广泛开展,但仅限于高斯随机激励情形。然而,现实中大部分的随机扰动都是非高斯的。若使用高斯激励模型将产生较大误差。假设拉索所受非高斯激励为泊松白噪声,研究了泊松白噪声激励下斜拉索面内随机振动。推导了受泊松白噪声激励的斜拉索面内振动的随机微分方程,建立了支配系统平稳响应概率密度函数的广义FPK方程。提出迭代加权残值法求解了四阶广义FPK方程,得到了系统响应概率密度函数的近似稳态闭合解。考察了垂跨比、阻尼系数以及脉冲到达率对拉索面内随机振动响应的影响。结果表明:拉索的响应随着垂跨比的增大,响应呈现不对称现象愈加明显;随阻尼比增加,系统响应得到显著抑制;当脉冲到达率增大,拉索的响应也随之增大,并逐渐接近于高斯白噪声激励的情形。另外,获得的理论结果与蒙特卡罗模拟的结果吻合地非常好。     

基于高斯混合模型的非高斯随机振动幅值概率密度函数

针对非高斯振动信号的幅值概率密度函数难以用数学模型表述的问题,提出了基于高斯混合模型的非高斯概率密度函数表示方法。首先,基于时域样本信号得到非高斯振动信号的高阶矩估计值。其次,基于高斯随机过程偶次高阶矩之间的定量关系,结合二阶高斯混合模型建立方程组,求解得到混合模型中每个高斯分量的方差和权值。然后,将各高斯分量的权值和方差代入高斯混合模型,得到适用于对称非高斯振动信号的幅值概率密度函数。最后,通过仿真信号和实测振动信号,验证了该方法的有效性和适用性。     

A translation model for non-stationary, non-Gaussian random processes

A model for simulation of non-stationary, non-Gaussian processes based on non-linear translation of Gaussian random vectors is presented. This method is a generalization of traditional translation processes that includes the capability of simulating samples with spatially or temporally varying marginal probability density functions. A formal development of the properties of the resulting process includes joint probability density function, correlation distortion and lower and upper bounds that depend on the target marginal distributions. Examples indicate the possibility of exactly matching a wide range of marginal pdfs and second order moments through a simple interpolating algorithm. Furthermore, the application of the method in simulating statistically inhomogeneous random media is investigated, using the specific case of binary translation with stationary and non-stationary target correlations.     

A Monte Carlo simulation model for stationary non-Gaussian processes

A class of stationary non-Gaussian processes, referred to as the class of mixtures of translation processes, is defined by their finite dimensional distributions consisting of mixtures of finite dimensional distributions of translation processes. The class of mixtures of translation processes includes translation processes and is useful for both Monte Carlo simulation and analytical studies. As for translation processes, the mixture of translation processes can have a wide range of marginal distributions and correlation functions. Moreover, these processes can match a broader range of second order correlation functions than translation processes. The paper also develops an algorithm for generating samples of any non-Gaussian process in the class of mixtures of translation processes. The algorithm is based on the sampling representation theorem for stochastic processes and properties of the conditional distributions. Examples are presented to illustrate the proposed Monte Carlo algorithm and compare features of translation processes and mixture of translation processes.     

Simulation of a non-Gaussian stochastic process based on a combined distribution of the UHPM and the GBD

To simulate non-Gaussian stochastic processes based on the first four moments, various simulation methods are presented, in which the determination of the transformation model and the calculation of the correlation coefficients between non-Gaussian stochastic processes and Gaussian stochastic processes are the critical procedures in these simulation methods. However, some existing simulation methods are limited to specific ranges. Furthermore, their practical applications are affected negatively due to the expensive cost of determining the transformation model and the correlation coefficients between non-Gaussian and Gaussian stochastic processes. Therefore, an accurate and efficient simulation method of a non-Gaussian stochastic process with a broader range is proposed in this article. Since the simulation of non-Gaussian processes and the Nataf transformation of non-Gaussian variables have some similar characteristics, a new combined distribution is proposed based on the unified Hermite polynomial model (UHPM) and the generalized beta distribution (GBD). Then, the combined distribution is employed in the simulation of non-Gaussian stochastic processes, in which the transformation model is deduced by the combined distribution. The correlation coefficient transformation function (CCTF) between the Gaussian and non-Gaussian stochastic processes can be evaluated through the interpolation method. Furthermore, numerical examples are presented to show the accuracy and effectiveness of the proposed simulation method for non-Gaussian stochastic processes.     

Translation models revisited

Translation models have been defined as memoryless mappings of Gaussian elements which match exactly/approximately target marginal distributions/correlations. We extend this class of translation models to include memoryless mappings of non-Gaussian elements. It is shown that quantities of interest inferred from equivalent translation models, i.e., models which share the same marginal distributions and have similar second moments, can differ significantly. It is suggested to construct families of equivalent translation models and select members of these families which are optimal for given quantities of interest.     

Numerical solutions of Fokker-Planck equation of nonlinear systems subjected to random and harmonic excitations

A new approach for an efficient numerical implementation of the path integral (PI) method based on non-Gaussian transition probability density function (PDF) and the Gauss-Legendre integration scheme is developed. This modified PI method is used to solve the Fokker-Planck (FP) equation and to study the nature of the stochastic and chaotic response of the nonlinear systems. The steady state PDF, periodicity, jump phenomenon, noise induced changes in joint PDF of the states are studied by the modified PI method. A computationally efficient higher order, finite difference (FD) technique is derived for the solution of higher-dimensional FP equation. A two degree of freedom nonlinear system having Coulomb damping with a variable friction coefficient subjected to Gaussian white noise excitation is considered as an example which can represent a bladed disk assembly of turbo-machinery blades. Effects of normal force and viscous damping on the mean square response are investigated.     

环境激励下基于奇异谱互熵的结构损伤诊断方法

环境激励下的结构响应是一个随机过程,结构发生破损时其响应将随之变化,因而可将描述随机过程特性的参数作为评判结构状况的指标。熵是测量随机过程不确定性的一个比较方便的方法,能够用于高斯及非高斯分布的情况。在相空间重构与奇异值分解的基础上建立了奇异谱互熵的概念,提出了一种环境激励下用奇异谱互熵诊断结构损伤的方法。以ASCE学会提出的基准结构为对象进行研究,利用NExT技术获得响应,采用伪邻近法确定相空间的嵌入维数,讨论了不同工况及噪声对诊断结果的影响,分析结果验证了该方法的有效性和鲁棒性。     

Conditional simulation of non-Gaussian wind velocity profiles: Application to buffeting response of Vincent Thomas suspension bridge

For a proper prediction of wind-induced vibrations of a long suspension bridge, it is necessary to use a representative wind velocity profile at the bridge site. However, as the simultaneous collection of wind velocity data at closely spaced locations of the entire bridge is not a viable option, simulation has become a powerful tool for this purpose. In this study, a new iterative approach of non-Gaussian conditional simulation is proposed to conditionally simulate the wind velocity profiles by utilizing the measured wind velocities at a few locations. The approach utilizes the well-known spectral representation technique in conjunction with nonlinear Gaussian to non-Gaussian mapping technique. Focusing on Vincent Thomas suspension bridge on which three anemometers have been installed recently at three strategic locations, this study compares buffeting responses evaluated using different simulation schemes. It has been found that the bridge response evaluated using the non-Gaussian simulation scheme may be higher when compared with other simulation schemes.