Design of magnetorheological damper with a combination of shear and squeeze modes

Magnetorheological (MR) damper is a semi-active suspension device that uses MR fluid to produce controllable damper. The mechanical properties of the suspension can be controlled by adjusting the yield stress of MR fluid. This paper presents the design of a new concept for MR damper with a combination of shear and squeeze working modes. Finite Element Method Magnetics (FEMM) was utilized to simulate the magnetic field generated by electromagnetic coils in MR damper. The MR damper was designed and fabricated according to the simulation results. The experimental tests were performed under quasi-static loading in three different conditions; shear mode, squeeze mode and combination of both modes. The results showed that the mixed mode MR damper has produced a unique damping characteristic where in general, a higher damping force has obtained in mixed mode than single mode.