In this practical guide that discusses both theoretical and real-world results, Paul Meehan draws on his extensive experience to provide a vital compilation of the methods and applications for predicting and controlling instabilities in engineering systems in a digestible and implementable form.

Through this book, readers will gain an in-depth understanding of classical and nonlinear instabilities in engineering systems and the mathematical tools and other techniques used to identify, analyse, and control them. After first introducing instability phenomena and their growing importance, Meehan then describes general predictive modelling tools and analysis methods. Subsequently, recent real applications across a wide range of engineering systems are described, including prediction of squealing noise, aeroelastic flutter, rail corrugation, rolling mill chatter, mining dragline swing instabilities, intractable railway contact wear instability, human body system instabilities, and spacecraft attitude instabilities. Analytical and simulation predictions of instability phenomena are presented and compared with experimental or field results. Various applied techniques are outlined, successful example applications are described, and mathematical tools are presented in a form that enables readers to apply to the control of instability phenomena in their own fields.

This book is an invaluable reference for academic researchers and industry figures in a variety of fields, particularly because it highlights the commonalities and generalization in approaches towards the prediction and control of instabilities. The insights within are also a useful resource for students from intermediate undergraduate level and up to better understand the topic and its applications.