Natural Excitation Technique for Multi-Degree-of-Freedom Systems

This article introduces a natural excitation technique applicable to multi-degree-of-freedom systems. This methodology enables the extraction of free vibration signals from random response data, making it widely applicable in structural dynamics and vibration analysis domains. A key advantage of this technique is its ability to perform vibration signal extraction without requiring additional excitation sources or sensors. The implementation typically involves advanced signal processing algorithms, such as cross-correlation analysis or auto-regressive models, to separate free vibration components from ambient response data. This makes the technique particularly valuable for various engineering and scientific applications including structural health monitoring of buildings, performance evaluation of mechanical systems, and structural response analysis in earthquake engineering. In practice, the algorithm can be implemented through MATLAB functions like xcorr for correlation analysis or ar model functions for system identification. Overall, this technique provides a novel approach for understanding and analyzing free vibration signals, offering substantial support for research and practical applications across engineering and scientific disciplines.