Comparative analysis of the time response of electrorheological and magnetorheological dampers using nondimensional parameters

Electrorheological (ER) and magnetorheological (MR) fluids show similar field-dependent rheological characteristics from a bulk fluid perspective. However, the implementation of ER and MR fluids in devices may require different strategies because of the inherent properties of ER and MR fluids such as density, viscosity and the magnitude of the yield stress. Therefore, in this study, we explore the characteristics of ER and MR fluid-based systems on the basis of dynamic range and time response in order to comprehensively understand each system. In doing so, a nondimensional analysis, based on parallel plate geometry, is used to characterize the field-dependent properties of ER and MR fluid-based dampers. Experimental tests are conducted for ER and MR dampers in order to validate our analysis.