Showing papers on "Magnetorheological fluid published in 2017"

Takagi–Sugeno Fuzzy Control for Semi-Active Vehicle Suspension With a Magnetorheological Damper and Experimental Validation

Abstract: Much research has gone into developing advanced control algorithms for semi-active suspension. Experimental validation of these control algorithms is critical for their practical applications. This paper investigates a state-observer-based Takagi–Sugeno fuzzy controller (SOTSFC) design for a semi-active quarter-car suspension installed with a magnetorheological (MR) damper and provides proof of the effectiveness of the proposed controller. To conduct the test, a quarter-car test rig and control system hardware were used. Then, a new MR damper was designed and built to fit with the test rig. After that, the SOTSFC for the quarter-car test rig was developed. Finally, several tests were conducted on the quarter-car suspension in order to investigate the real effect of the SOTSFC. It was then compared with the use of a skyhook controller to demonstrate its benefits.

Invited Review: Recent developments in vibration control of building and bridge structures

Abstract: This paper presents a state-of-the-art review of recent articles published on active, passive, semi-active and hybrid vibration control systems for structures under dynamic loadings primarily since 2013. Active control systems include active mass dampers, active tuned mass dampers, distributed mass dampers, and active tendon control. Passive systems include tuned mass dampers (TMD), particle TMD, tuned liquid particle damper, tuned liquid column damper (TLCD), eddy-current TMD, tuned mass generator, tuned-inerter dampers, magnetic negative stiffness device, resetting passive stiffness damper, re-entering shape memory alloy damper, viscous wall dampers, viscoelastic dampers, and friction dampers. Semi-active systems include tuned liquid damper with floating roof, resettable variable stiffness TMD, variable friction dampers, semi-active TMD, magnetorheological dampers, leverage-type stiffness controllable mass damper, semi-active friction tendon. Hybrid systems include shape memory alloys-liquid column damper, shape memory alloy-based damper, and TMD-high damping rubber.

Synthesis of Silicone Elastomers Containing Silyl-Based Polymer-Grafted Carbonyl Iron Particles: An Efficient Way To Improve Magnetorheological, Damping, and Sensing Performances

Abstract: The synthesis and characterization of isotropic magnetorheological elastomer (MRE) with significantly enhanced utility properties is presented. Common drawbacks of classical MREs, such as poor particle wettability, dispersibility, low thermo-oxidative stability, low chemical stability, and insufficient durability, were eliminated by grafting the carbonyl iron (CI) particles with poly(trimethylsilyloxyethyl methacrylate) (PHEMATMS) using surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). Two sets of the MREs were prepared containing bare CI and CI grafted with PHEMATMS chains (CI-g-PHEMATMS). The effects of the coating on magnetorheological behavior in oscillatory shear, as well as the sensing properties of the prepared MREs, were evaluated. The mechanical properties in tensile mode and the particle filler/polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) matrix interactions were investigated using a dynamic mechanical analysis. The PHEMATMS grafts considerably improved the CI particles’ mobility, probably by preven...

Optimal design of a magnetorheological damper used in smart prosthetic knees

Abstract: In this paper, a magnetorheological (MR) damper is optimally designed for use in smart prosthetic knees. The objective of optimization is to minimize the total energy consumption during one gait cycle and weight of the MR damper. Firstly, a smart prosthetic knee employing a DC motor, MR damper and springs is developed based on the kinetics characteristics of human knee during walking. Then the function of the MR damper is analyzed. In the initial stance phase and swing phase, the MR damper is powered off (off-state). While during the late stance phase, the MR damper is powered on to work as a clutch (on-state). Based on the MR damper model as well as the prosthetic knee model, the instantaneous energy consumption of the MR damper is derived in the two working states. Then by integrating in one gait cycle, the total energy consumption is obtained. Particle swarm optimization algorithm is used to optimize the geometric dimensions of MR damper. Finally, a prototype of the optimized MR damper is fabricated and tested with comparison to simulation.

Disturbance rejection and force-tracking controller of nonlinear lateral vibrations in passenger rail vehicle using magnetorheological fluid damper:

Abstract: In this article, an existing railway vehicle is modelled as a full-scale nine-degree-of-freedom system considering lateral, yaw and roll motions of the car body and the front and rear bogies. Moreo...

Fabrication and characterisation of anisotropic magnetorheological elastomer with 45° iron particle alignment at various silicone oil concentrations

Abstract: In this study, anisotropic magnetorheological elastomers with 0% and 15% weight fractions of silicone oil were fabricated under a magnetic field that was rotated with a 45° angle so that the iron p...

A characterisation of the magnetically induced movement of NdFeB-particles in magnetorheological elastomers

Abstract: Magnetorheological elastomers are a type of smart hybrid material where elastic properties of a soft elastomer matrix are combined with magnetic properties of magnetic micro particles. This combination leads to a complex interplay of magnetic and elastic phenomena, of which the magnetorheological effect is the best described. In this paper, magnetically hard NdFeB-particles were used to obtain remanent magnetic properties. X-ray microtomography has been utilised to analyse the particle movement induced by magnetic fields. A particle tracking was performed; thus, it was possible to characterise the movement of individual particles. Beyond that, a comprehensive analysis of the orientation of all particles was performed at different states of magnetisation and global particle arrangements. For the first time, this method was successfully applied to a magnetorheological material with a technically relevant amount of magnetic NdFeB-particles. A significant impact of the magnetic field on the rotation and translation of the particles was shown.

Design and testing of magnetorheological valve with fast force response time and great dynamic force range

Abstract: The paper deals with design, simulation and experimental testing of a magnetorheological (MR) valve with short response time. The short response time is achieved by a suitable design of an active zone in combination with use of a ferrite material for magnetic circuit. The magneto-static model and the simplified hydraulic model of the MR valve are examined and experimentally verified. The development the MR valve achieves an average response time 4.1 ms and the maximum dynamic force range of eight.

A review of advances in magnetorheological dampers: their design optimization and applications

Abstract: In recent years, magnetorheological (MR) fluid technology has received much attention and consequently has shown much improvement. Its adaptable nature has led to rapid growth in such varied engineering applications as the base isolation of civil structures, vehicle suspensions, and several bio-engineering mechanisms through its implementation in different MR fluid base devices, particularly in MR dampers. The MR damper is an advanced application of a semi-active device which performs effectively in vibration reduction due to its control ability in both on and off states. The MR damper has the capacity to generate a large damping force, with comparatively low power consumption, fast and flexible response, and simplicity of design. With reference to the huge demand for MR dampers, this paper reviews the advantages of these semi-active systems over passive and active systems, the versatile application of MR dampers, and the fabrication of the configurations of various MR dampers, and provides an overview of various MR damper models. To address the increasing adaptability of the MR dampers, their latest design optimization and advances are also presented. Because of the tremendous interest in self-powered and energy-saving technologies, a broad overview of the design of MR dampers for energy harvesting and their modeling is also incorporated in this paper.

A general result for the magnetoelastic response of isotropic suspensions of iron and ferrofluid particles in rubber, with applications to spherical and cylindrical specimens

Abstract: This paper puts forth an approximate solution for the effective free-energy function describing the homogenized (or macroscopic) magnetoelastic response of magnetorheological elastomers comprised of non-Gaussian rubbers filled with isotropic suspensions of either iron or ferrofluid particles. The solution is general in that it applies to N = 2 and 3 space dimensions and any arbitrary (non-percolative) isotropic suspension of filler particles. By construction, it is exact in the limit of small deformations and moderate magnetic fields. For finite deformations and finite magnetic fields, its accuracy is demonstrated by means of direct comparisons with full-field simulations for two prominent cases: (i) isotropic suspensions of circular particles and (ii) isotropic suspensions of spherical particles. With the combined objectives of demonstrating the possible benefits of using ferrofluid particles in lieu of the more conventional iron particles as fillers and gaining insight into recent experimental results, the proposed homogenization-based constitutive model is deployed to generate numerical solutions for boundary-value problems of both fundamental and practical significance: those consisting of magnetorheological elastomer specimens of spherical and cylindrical shape that are immersed in air and subjected to a remotely applied uniform magnetic field. It is found that magnetorheological elastomers filled with ferrofluid particles can exhibit magnetostrictive capabilities far superior to those of magnetorheological elastomers filled with iron particles. The results also reveal that the deformation and magnetic fields are highly heterogenous within the specimens and strongly dependent on the shape of these, specially for magnetorheological elastomers filled with iron particles. From an applications perspective, this evidence makes it plain that attempts at designing magnetrostrictive devices based on magnetorheological elastomers need to be approached, in general, as structural problems, and not simply as materials design problems.

Two-field surface pattern control via marginally stable magnetorheological elastomers.

Abstract: The stability and post-bifurcation of a non-linear magnetoelastic film/substrate block is experimentally exploited to obtain active control of surface roughness. The non-intuitive interplay between magnetic field and elastic deformation owes to material and geometry selection, namely a ferromagnetic particle composite film bonded on a compliant passive foundation. Cooperation of the two otherwise independent loading mechanisms-mechanical pre-compression and magnetic field-allows one to bring the structure near a marginally stable state and then destabilize it with either magnetic or mechanical fields. We demonstrate for the first time that the critical magnetic field is a decreasing function of pre-compression and vice versa. The experimental results are then probed successfully with full-field finite element simulations at large strains and magnetic fields. The magnetoelastic coupling allows for reversible on/off control of surface wrinkling under adjustable critical magnetic and mechanical fields, thus this study constitutes a first step towards realistic active haptic and morphing devices.

Statistical analysis of magnetically soft particles in magnetorheological elastomers

Abstract: The physical properties of magnetorheological elastomers (MRE) are a complex issue and can be influenced and controlled in many ways, e.g. by applying a magnetic field, by external mechanical stimuli, or by an electric potential. In general, the response of MRE materials to these stimuli is crucially dependent on the distribution of the magnetic particles inside the elastomer. Specific knowledge of the interactions between particles or particle clusters is of high relevance for understanding the macroscopic rheological properties and provides an important input for theoretical calculations. In order to gain a better insight into the correlation between the macroscopic effects and microstructure and to generate a database for theoretical analysis, x-ray micro-computed tomography (X-μCT) investigations as a base for a statistical analysis of the particle configurations were carried out. Different MREs with quantities of 2–15 wt% (0.27–2.3 vol%) of iron powder and different allocations of the particles inside the matrix were prepared. The X-μCT results were edited by an image processing software regarding the geometrical properties of the particles with and without the influence of an external magnetic field. Pair correlation functions for the positions of the particles inside the elastomer were calculated to statistically characterize the distributions of the particles in the samples.

Integrated semi-active seat suspension for both longitudinal and vertical vibration isolation

Abstract: “Functional integration” is to integrate two or multiple systems or mechanisms that are independent with each other and to realize the two or multiple functions using only one actuation system. Maximization of engineering applications of actuation systems could be achieved through the use of the “functional integration” concept-based structural design. In this article, an integrated semi-active seat suspension, mainly composed of a switching mechanism, a transmission amplification mechanism, and a damping force- or torque-controllable rotary magnetorheological (MR) damper working in pure shear mode, for both longitudinal and vertical vibration attenuation, is proposed, designed, and fabricated. The switching mechanism employs the parallelogram frames as a motion guide which keeps the seat moving longitudinally and vertically. Both longitudinal and vertical motions are transformed into a reciprocating rotary motion that is transmitted to the rotary MR damper after an amplification by a gear mechanism. The ...

Semi-active control of tracked vehicle suspension incorporating magnetorheological dampers

Abstract: In past years, the application of magnetorheological (MR) and electrorheological dampers in vehicle suspension has been widely studied, mainly for the purpose of vibration control. This paper presents theoretical study to identify an appropriate semi-active control method for MR-tracked vehicle suspension. Three representative control algorithms are simulated including the skyhook, hybrid and fuzzy-hybrid controllers. A seven degrees-of-freedom tracked vehicle suspension model incorporating MR dampers has been adopted for comparison between the performance of the three controllers. The model differential equations are derived based on Newton's second law of motion and the proposed control methods are developed. The performance of each control method under bump and sinusoidal road profiles for different vehicle speeds is simulated and compared with the performance of the conventional suspension system in time and frequency domains. The results show that the performance of tracked vehicle suspension...

Design and testing of a regenerative magnetorheological actuator for assistive knee braces

Abstract: In this paper, a multifunctional magneto-rheological actuator with power regeneration capability, named regenerative magnetorheological actuator (RMRA), is designed for gait assistance in the knee joint. RMRA has motor and magnetorheological (MR) brake parts working in parallel that can harvest energy through regenerative braking. This novel design provides multiple functions with good energy efficiency. The configuration and basic design of the RMRA are first introduced. Then geometrical optimization of the MR brake is conducted based on a parameterized model, and multiple factors are considered in the design objectives: braking torque, weight, and power consumption. After the optimal design is obtained, an RMRA prototype is fabricated and associated driver circuits are designed. Finally, multiple functions of the RMRA, especially three different braking modes, are modeled and tested. Experimental results of RMRA output performances in all working modes match the modeling and simulation. Assistive knee braces with the developed RMRA are promising for future applications in gait assistance and rehabilitation.

Stiffness control of magnetorheological gels for adaptive tunable vibration absorber

Abstract: In this study, a stiffness feedback control system for magnetorheological (MR) gel—a smart material of variable stiffness—is proposed, toward the design of a tunable vibration absorber that can adaptively tune to a time varying disturbance in real time. A PID controller was designed to track the required stiffness of the MR gel by controlling the magnitude of the target external magnetic field pervading the MR gel. This paper proposes a novel magnetic field generator that could produce a variable magnetic field with low energy consumption. The performance of the MR gel stiffness control was validated through experiments that showed the MR gel absorber system could be automatically tuned from 56 Hz to 67 Hz under a field of 100 mT to minimize the vibration of the primary system.