APPENDIX

Routh-Hurwitz Stability Criterion

For the following two-degree-of-freedom system:



M
0

0
M

 
Dxx
x

Dyx
y

Dxy
Dyy

 
Kxx
x_

Kyx
y_

Kxy
Kyy

 
0
x

0
y

A2:1

with the solution

x x0 est , y y0 est

A2:2

where s is an eigenvalue and x0 , y0 are constants of integration, the corresponding

characteristic equation to calculate four values of s can be given by:
a0 s 4 a1 s 3 a2 s 2 a 3 s a4 0

A2:3

where


a0 M2 , a1 M Dxx Dyy , a2 M Kxx Kyy Dxx Dyy
Dxy Dyx ,
a3 Dxx Kyy Kxx Dyy
Dxy Kyx
Dyx Kxy , a4 Kxx Kyy
Kxy Kyx

A2:4

For the polynomial of the nth order, the Routh-Hurwitz matrix, RH, is given by:
2

a1 a3
6 a0 a2
6
6 0 a1
RH 6
6 0 a0
6
4... ...
0
0

a5
a4
a3
a2
...
0

3
... 0
... 0 7
7
... 0 7
7
... 0 7
7
... ...5
. . . an

993

2005 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC

994

ROTORDYNAMICS

The Routh-Hurwitz stability criterion is based on positive values of partial discriminants

formed from the main matrix (A2.5) as follows:



 a 1 a3 a5 a7 




 a1 a2 a5 


 a 0 a2 a4 a6 

 a1 a3 
, . . .





40, D 3  a0 a2 a4 40, D 4 
D 1 a1 40, D 2 

a0 a2 
 0 a1 a3 a5 
 0 a1 a3 
 0 a0 a2 a4 
A2:6
For the particular case of the fourth order polynomial, Eq. (A2.1), since a5 a6 a7 0,
the stability conditions are as follows:
D 1 a1 4 0, D 2 a1 a2
a3 a0 4 0
D3 a3 a1 a2
a0 a3
a21 a4 4 0, D4 a4 D3 4 0

A2:7

Since values of ai (i 1,2) are usually positive for the considered system, the system
stability is based on the second to fourth inequalities (A2.7). Most often it is the fourth
inequality, D4 4 0, thus, a4 4 0, which provides the boundary of the unstable motion,
when D4 0.

2005 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC