Design and application of magneto-rheological fluid

Magneto-rheological fluid (MRF) technology is an old newcomers coming to the market at high speed. Various industries including the automotive industry are full of potential MRF applications. Magneto-rheological fluid technology has been successfully employed already in various low and high volume applications. A structure based on MRF might be the next generation in design for products where power density, accuracy and dynamic performance are the key features. Additionally, for products where is a need to control fluid motion by varying the viscosity, a structure based on MRF might be an improvement in functionality and costs. Two aspects of this technology, direct shear mode (used in brakes and clutches) and valve mode (used in dampers) have been studied thoroughly and several applications are already present on the market. Excellent features like fast response, simple interface between electrical power input and mechanical power output, and precise controllability make MRF technology attractive for many applications. This paper presents the state of the art of an actuator with a control arrangement based on MRF technology. The study shows that excellent features like fast response, simple interface between electrical power input and the mechanical power output, and controllability make MRF the next technology of choice for many applications. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.