Accuracy Analysis of Harmonic Distortion Estimation Through Exponential Chirp Pulse Compression

An analysis of the non-linear behavior of materials and structures can be very useful to verify their integrity and for an early detection of possible catastrophic effects. A qualitative check of the possible presence of non-linear effects may not be adequate, and it is necessary to adopt a quantitative measure of any non-linear behavior. Moreover, a reliable and easy-to-implement estimation procedure must be available, suitable for use in an industrial environment. The present work proposes, for these purposes, the use of Total Harmonic Distortion and Single Harmonic Distortions and their estimation techniques based on exponential chirp pulse compression. The work describes the theoretical aspects of these estimation techniques and their accuracy is verified with two experiments.