The potential of smart fluids (both electrorheological, and magnetorheological) in damping devices is now well-known. Whilst both types of fluid can suffer from drawbacks such as sedimentation, fluid degradation, and problems with containment or sealing, these issues are not insurmountable and solutions have been engineered such that practical damping devices are now commercially available. However, one drawback is that the free-velocity characteristics of a smart fluid device are inherently non-linear, possessing the general form associated with a Bingham plate. This means that while practical devices have the potential to modify rapidly their behavior, it can be difficult automatically to adjust the device's response.

Date Published: 30 July 2001
PDF: 9 pages
Proc. SPIE 4330, Smart Structures and Materials 2001: Smart Systems for Bridges, Structures, and Highways, (30 July 2001); doi: 10.1117/12.434121

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 4330:
Smart Structures and Materials 2001: Smart Systems for Bridges, Structures, and Highways
S.-C. Liu, Editor(s)