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H. Ecker:
"Parametric Excitation In Engineering Systems";
Keynote Lecture: COBEM2009, Gramado-RS, Brazil (invited); 2009-11-15 - 2009-11-20; in: "Proceedings COBEM2009", S. Möller (ed.); ABCM, (2009), Paper ID COB09-2246, 10 pages.

For a long time parametric excitation in engineering systems was associated mainly with parametric resonances
and harmful vibrations. Parametric excitation seemed to have only negative effects on the dynamics of systems and
therefore research was focused on how to avoid or at least minimize the adverse consequences of parametric excitation.
However, recent research results have shown that parametric excitation may cause not only harmful instabilities in a
dynamical system but can also improve the capability of a system to suppress vibrations. In particular it is possible to
avoid the onset of an instability by introducing parametric excitation to the system. These findings are quite new and the
numerous possibilities of making use of it still need to be explored and discussed.
In this article the basics of parametric excitation as a means to suppress vibrations in engineering systems are presented
and several theoretical and experimental studies are reviewed. The potential of this novel design concept is discussed and
directions for further research and future practical applications are outlined.

Parametric excitation, self-excitation, vibration damping, stability