Overview Research Topics
The long term objective of the department is the realization of the IMMI project (Interpretation by Measuring, Modelling and Identification), since 1989. Beside this main project, which covers a broad spectrum of several related activities, also some other independent research topics (national or European funding) are at stake.
Identification of Hysteresis in Dynamic Systems
Hysteresis is a phenomenology commonly encountered in a wide variety of engineering and science disciplines, including solid mechanics, electromagnetism and aerodynamics. Most studies tackling hysteresis identification in the technical literature follow white-box approaches, i.e. they rely on...
Decoupling noisy multivariate polynomials in nonlinear system identification
In the field of system identification, one special type of nonlinear models are the so-called block-oriented models, and more specifically the Wiener-Hammerstein models. When identifying parallel Wiener-Hammer-stein systems, a multiple-input-multiple-output polynomial should be decoupled, that...
Identifying parallel Wiener-Hammerstein systems by decomposing Volterra kernels
To capture the nonlinear effects of the real world, the focus of system identification is shifting from linear to nonlinear dynamical models. Every nonlinear dynamic system with fading memory can be approximated with arbitrary precision by its Volterra kernel description, which generalizes the...
Dealing with nonlinearities of industrial measurements
The project deals with the linearity measures of vibration testing techniques, when a physical prototype is available. The goal of the vibration testing is to obtain experimental data of the whole vibrating structure such as road and air vehicles [3]. Using these data it is possible to validate...
Nonparametric Time-Varying Operational Modal Analysis
The first subproject deals with the time variations of (vibrational) mechanical structures described by the nonparametric Operational Modal Analysis (OMA) [1]. OMA is a special identification technique for estimating the modal properties (e.g. resonance frequencies, damping) of structures based...
BLA-based Design and Analysis of VCO-based Sigma-Delta Modulator
Nonlinear system theory is involved. The available theoretical frameworks depend on the assumed system properties and the applied signals. An example is the Volterra theory framework which uses a series expansion of the system’s behaviour around an operating point. This operating point can be...
Measuring nonlinear distortions: from test case to an F-16 Fighter
What are the similarities and differences between the behavior of a small vibrating test system and an F-16 fighter? To find it out, we compare measurements of the test system to measurements from the bolted connection of the wing and the missile of a F-16 Fighter Falcon from the Belgian air...
Identification methods for low-power sensors
The Internet of Things (IoT) will soon result in a huge number of smart devices with actuators, sensors, network connectivity and signal processing. The scientific objective is to extend the current state-of-the-art frequency identification methods to enable their use within low-cost, low power...
Linear parameter-varying modeling and decentralized fault diagnosis for large sets of interacting subsystem
Fault Detection and Isolation (FDI) systems aim at the early detection and localization of faults. They are the key for the establishment of condition-based maintenance on industrial processes, which allows for cost reduction, and a safer and more reliable operation. The research on FDI has been...
Optimal Input Design for Nonlinear Block Structured Systems
Designing a good experiment is an important step in the system identification process, since the quality of the estimated model strongly depends on the quality of the experiment data. One aspect of the experiment that can be optimized is the input signal that is used to excite the system. The...
Frequency Response Matrix Estimation From Partially Missing Data – for Periodic Inputs
Time-variant dynamics are present in quite some engineering applications. Think of, for example, pit corrosion of metals where the time-variation is induced by the changing surface; thermal drift in power electronics and lithium-ion batteries whose characteristics are temperature and charge...
Data driven fast measurements
Measurement techniques have fundamental speed and accuracy limitations. The speed and precision of a measurement device used in monitoring and control tasks determines the quality of the available data, which in turn limits the accuracy of models derived from the data. In this project, we...
Identification of multiple reflections in high frequency structures
Necessity of identifying reflections is not only an interest for engineers working at high frequencies. Engineers from other societies such as geophysics, mine-field detections and civil engineering are also concerned about the reflections. While in these fields mainly identifying the positions...
Integration of the Linear Parameter-Varying framework in the design of supply modulated high frequent power amplifiers
Modern power amplifier designs attempt to trade off the power efficiency and the nonlinear distortion of the amplifier. This leads to complex amplifier structures, such as supply modulated amplifies, where the drain supply of the transistor device is modulated in function of the envelope of the...
Model driven design of high performance microwave filters
Microwave filters are steadily evolving towards the use of more complex transmission line structures as building blocks. This is needed to cope with the highly demanding specifications of modern telecommunication equipment.