Magnetic field enhancement technique in the fluid flow gap of a single coil twin tube Magnetorheological damper using magnetic shields

Abstract

Smart dampers in the automobile suspension system bring a precise balance between the ride comfort and stability through a controllable damping coefficient. Energy absorbed by a Magnetorheological (MR) damper is a dependent function of flux density in the fluid flow gap. In this paper, magnetic field enhancement technique in the form of a single cylindrical shield and sandwich cylindrical shield is incorporated in a twin tube single coil MR damper. The field strength in different configurations of MR damper having various type of shield configuration is computationally investigated. Further, the effect of shield thickness on field strength is investigated. A significant overall improvement in the magnetic field strength is observed in the MR damper configuration having copper alloy shield.

Keywords

• magnetorheological damper
• sandwich shield
• magnetostatic analysis
• twin tube
• ride comfort