On a Persistent Misunderstanding of the Role of Hysteretic Damping in Rotordynamics

Abstract

Even though the role of damping in rotordynamics has been known for more than half a century, some incorrect statements on the effects of hysteretic damping, particularly in the subcritical range, can be found still in even the most authoritative journals. Although clarified in the 1970s, this issue recently resurfaced with the incorrect statement that hysteretic damping of rotating elements is destabilizing at any speed (even subcritical). The aim of the present paper is to clarify this issue in terms of the practical applications of the theory in an unequivocal way.