The field-dependent shock profiles of a magnetorhelogical damper due to high impact: an experimental investigation

This work proposes a new damper featuring magnetorheological fluid (MR damper) and presents its field-dependent damping forces due to high impact. To achieve this goal, a large MR damper, which can produce a damping force of 100 kN at 6 A, is designed and manufactured based on the analysis of the magnetic flux intensity of the damper. After identifying the field-dependent damping force levels of the manufactured MR damper, a hydraulic horizontal shock tester is established. This shock testing system consists of a velocity generator, impact mass, shock programmer, and test mass. The MR damper is installed at the end of the wall in the shock tester and tested under four different experimental conditions. The shock profile characteristics of the MR damper due to different impact velocities are investigated at various input current levels. In addition, the inner pressure of the MR damper during impact, which depends on the input's current level, is evaluated at two positions that can represent the pressure drop that generates the damping force of the MR damper. It is demonstrated from this impact testing that the shock profiles can be changed by the magnitude of the input current applied to the MR damper. It directly indicates that a desired shock profile can be achieved by installing the MR damper associated with appropriate control logics to adjust the magnitude of the input current.