Magnetorheological damper behaviour in accordance with flow mode

The objective of this article is to determine the optimal flow mode in an MR damper to maximize its performance. Flow mode is one of the main design issues in an MR damper, as it determines the velocity profile and the pressure drop across the gap. In this research, two MR dampers were designed and manufactured with two flow modes: valve and mixed. The response of these two dampers was compared experimentally. Additionally, the experimental tests were correlated by theoretical results that were obtained considering the rheological behaviour of the MR fluid, the shear stress distribution in the gap, and the damper movement. Interestingly, the obtained results suggest that flow mode is not a significant parameter for determining the behaviour of a MR damper.