Advanced magnetorheological damper with a spiral channel bypass valve

Magnetorheological (MR) fluid has a yield stress that is readily controllable using an applied magnetic field. MR dampers adjust this yield stress in a magnetic valve to accommodate a wide range of shock or vibration loads. In this study, the performance of an MR damper with a spiral channel bypass valve is examined. Three bypass damper configurations, i.e., a spiral channel, a spiral channel with beads, and a straight channel with beads, are subject to sinusoidal forcing at constant amplitude, while varying frequency, and applied field (current). These configurations are characterized using tortuosity and porosity parameters. The spiral channel without beads had the largest porosity and smallest tortuosity, which produced the smallest damper force, but the widest controllable damping range. The spiral channel with beads had the smallest porosity, and a comparable tortuosity, which produced the largest damping force, but similar controllable damping range to the straight channel with beads. (C) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC.