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The paper proposes a new methodology for time-dependent reliability analysis of vibratory systems using a combination of a first-order, four-moment (FOFM) method and a non-Gaussian Karhunen–Loeve (NG-KL) expansion. The approach can also be used for random vibrations studies. The vibratory system is nonlinear and is excited by stationary non-Gaussian input random processes which are characterized by their first four marginal moments and autocorrelation function. The NG-KL expansion expresses each input non-Gaussian process as a linear combination of uncorrelated, non-Gaussian random variables and computes their first four moments. The FOFM method then uses the moments of the NG-KL variables to calculate the moments and autocorrelation function of the output processes based on a first-order Taylor expansion (linearization) of the system equations of motion. Using the output moments and autocorrelation function, another NG-KL expansion expresses the output processes in terms of uncorrelated non-Gaussian variables in the time domain, allowing the generation of output trajectories. The latter are used to estimate the time-dependent probability of failure using Monte Carlo simulation (MCS). The computational cost of the proposed approach is proportional to the number of NG-KL random variables and is significantly lower than that of other recently developed methodologies which are based on sampling. The accuracy and efficiency of the proposed methodology is demonstrated using a two-degree-of-freedom nonlinear vibratory system with random coefficients excited by a stationary non-Gaussian random process.

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This paper proposes a new methodology for time-dependent reliability analysis of vibratory systems using a combination of a First-Order, Four-Moment (FOFM) method and a Non-Gaussian Karhunen-Loeve (NG-KL) expansion. The vibratory system is nonlinear and it is excited by stationary non-Gaussian input random processes which are characterized by their first four marginal moments and autocorrelation function. The NG-KL expansion expresses each input non-Gaussian process as a linear combination of uncorrelated, non-Gaussian random variables and computes their first four moments. The FOFM method then uses the moments of the NG-KL variables to calculate the moments and autocorrelation function of the output processes based on a first-order Taylor expansion (linearization) of the system equations of motion. Using the output moments and autocorrelation function, another NG-KL expansion expresses the output processes in terms of uncorrelated non-Gaussian variables in the time domain, allowing the generation of output trajectories. The latter are used to estimate the time-dependent probability of failure using Monte Carlo Simulation (MCS). The computational cost of the proposed approach is proportional to the number of NG-KL random variables and is significantly lower than that of other recently developed methodologies which are based on sampling. The accuracy and efficiency of the proposed methodology is demonstrated using a two-degree of freedom nonlinear vibratory system with random coefficients excited by a stationary non-Gaussian random process.

A general methodology is presented for time-dependent reliability and random vibrations of nonlinear vibratory systems with random parameters excited by non-Gaussian loads. The approach is based on Polynomial Chaos Expansion (PCE), Karhunen-Loeve (KL) expansion and Quasi Monte Carlo (QMC). The latter is used to estimate multi-dimensional integrals efficiently. The input random processes are first characterized using their first four moments (mean, standard deviation, skewness and kurtosis coefficients) and a correlation structure in order to generate sample realizations (trajectories). Characterization means the development of a stochastic metamodel. The input random variables and processes are expressed in terms of independent standard normal variables in N dimensions. The N-dimensional input space is space filled with M points. The system differential equations of motion are time integrated for each of the M points and QMC estimates the four moments and correlation structure of the output efficiently. The proposed PCE-KL-QMC approach is then used to characterize the output process. Finally, classical MC simulation estimates the time-dependent probability of failure using the developed stochastic metamodel of the output process. The proposed methodology is demonstrated with a Duffing oscillator example under non-Gaussian load.