STABILITY OF GYROELASTIC BEAMS

An idealized mathematical model of a linear elastic Bernoulli-Euler be am, in which each element of the beam has an infinitesimal quantity of stored angular momentum, is presented. This continuous distribution o f angular momentum is termed gyricity. The governing equations of moti on are derived when the system is subject to conservative external loa ds. It is shown that these systems can display both static instabiliti es (divergence) and dynamic instabilities (flutter), that the structur e of the stability regions depends on the distribution of stiffness, a nd that gyric stabilization is sometimes possible.