Dynamic viscous behavior of magneto-rheological fluid in coupled mode operation

A new method of measuring the coupled mode viscosity behavior of magneto-rheological (MR) fluid using the resonance concept is proposed. The coupled mode viscosity measurement device is designed as a resonant system using a cantilever beam probing with the rotating shaft mechanism. The 'C' shaped iron core of an electromagnetic coil, mounted in a resonating cantilever beam is used as a probing tip. The MR fluid between the probing tip and the rotating shaft mechanism experiences both squeeze and shear force. The vibration induced by the resonating cantilever beam creates only squeeze force on the MR fluid when the shaft is stationary. When the cantilever beam is vibrating at resonance and the shaft is rotating, the MR fluid experiences coupled (shear and squeeze) force. The cantilever beam is vibrated at its resonant frequency using the piezoelectric actuation technique and the resonance is maintained using simple closed loop resonator electronics. The input current to the probing coil is varied to produce a variable magnetic field which causes the viscosity change of the MR fluid. The viscosity change of the MR fluid produces a coupled force, which induces an additional stiffness on the resonating cantilever beam and alters its initial resonant frequency. The shift in resonant frequency due to the change in viscosity of the MR fluid is measured with the help of a resonator electronics circuit and its viscosity is related to the field dependent coupled mode yield stress of the MR fluid. The proposed measurement device is analytically derived and experimentally evaluated.