Extreme value statistics of flow induced noise and vibration

Flow induced noise and vibration produces cyclic loading on structures such as wind turbines and vehicle control surfaces. This cyclic loading can often produce fatigue damage in these structures. Since the flow excitation is often random in nature, infrequent large amplitude loads are expected to occur in these applications. These large outlier loads ultimately decrease the fatigue performance of these structures. The goal of this work is to develop improved methodologies for predicting and modeling these rare events in order to establish relevant design loads. To accomplish this, the Generalized Extreme Value (GEV) model is applied to flow-induced vibration response maxima, extracted using Block Maxima methodology. The model is then compared to the Ordered Empirical Distribution (OED) to confirm model accuracy to the original data. Vibration response measurements are repeated and compared to GEV model to evaluate if extreme events were predictable.