Field-Responsive Fluid Based Multi-degree-of-Freedom Dampers for Independently Adjustable Dissipation

Damping is a decisive factor that influences the dissipation of energy in vibrating systems. That is why it is important to have the right amount of damping in vibrating systems. Magneto (MR)- and electrorheological (ER) fluids have been implemented in damper technology as a novel invention two decades ago, whereby the resulted damping can be adjusted in real-time by controlling the strength of the applied field. Since the damping can be adjusted, the damper is categorized as a smart system in which a smooth transition and calm operation can be achieved in a vibrating system. Even though MR and ER fluid-based dampers have been implemented in a few mass-production applications and investigated in many scientific studies, these pure damper elements do operate only in one direction of motion. In this work, multi-degree-of-freedom (M-DOF) MR/ER dampers are aimed. Ideas for new possibilities in extending their functionality by going beyond the conventional ER/MR damper design are explored. For this reason, the known operating modes and damper designs are extended in new directions. Three general extension possibilities are explored and investigated through experiments, namely the extension (1) by integrating several damper elements, (2) by combining known operating modes, and (3) by adding extra control elements. The construction of the damper systems including the investigation results are presented. As a result, the investigation has proven that M-DOF MR/ER dampers can be realized using these extension approaches. It shows even a prospect of making the damper system to be more compact despite a higher complexity. The work has shown that there are still a lot of possibilities for exploring the MR/ER damper design.