desbalances

Desbalances is the plural form of desbalance, a noun used to denote a condition in which elements of a system are not in balance, resulting in asymmetry or disproportion. The term appears primarily in technical writing influenced by Spanish or Portuguese usage, and in some English texts as a direct loan translation. In standard English, the more common terms are imbalance or unbalance; desbalance and its plural desbalances are less common but understood in context to mean multiple instances of imbalance.

In mechanical engineering and related disciplines, desbalance commonly refers to unbalance of rotating parts, such as gears, shafts, fans, or turbines. Unbalance can be static (a mass offset from the rotation axis) or dynamic (an unequal mass distribution across a rotating plane). It is measured by unbalance quantities (mass times offset) with units such as g·mm or oz·in and assessed using balancing equipment. Consequences include vibrations, increased wear, noise, and reduced efficiency, which can be mitigated by adding balancing weights, redistributing mass, or using vibration dampers.

In economics and finance, desbalances describe mismatches among components of an economic system, such as external or internal imbalances, imbalance between savings and investment, or between exports and imports. Persistent desbalances can create vulnerability to shocks and may be addressed through policy measures intended to restore equilibrium, such as exchange-rate adjustments, fiscal reform, or structural changes.

Because desbalance is less common in English, writers usually prefer imbalance or unbalance, reserving desbalances for direct translation contexts or specific technical registers. See also imbalance, unbalance, asymmetry.