stöðugleikafel

Stöðugleikafel is an Icelandic term used in technical literature to denote a stability factor—a dimensionless quantity that expresses how resistant a system is to losing stability under perturbations or parameter changes. The exact meaning and calculation of stöðugleikafel vary by field, but it generally compares a system's stabilizing capacity to destabilizing influences and yields a threshold or margin for stable operation.

In structural engineering, the concept relates to how close a structure is to instability such as buckling, and data are often interpreted as a margin by which loads must be reduced or parameters adjusted to maintain stability. In control theory, stöðugleikafel can correspond to stability margins in feedback systems, such as gain or phase margins that ensure the system remains damped and does not become oscillatory or unstable. In electrical power systems, similar factors are used to assess the ability of the network to return to equilibrium after disturbances like faults or line outages.

Calculation and interpretation are field dependent: a higher stöðugleikafel value generally indicates greater stability, but the exact formula and acceptable ranges are defined within the specific discipline. It is not a universally standardized quantity; practitioners specify the precise definition and computation in their domain, and the term may be used alongside related concepts such as stability margin and factor of safety.

See also: stöðugleiki, stability margin, factor of safety.