C1 - Smart Dampers for Vibration Isolation

Vibration in today's high-rise buildings, high-speed vehicles and machines severely affects their safety, comfort and precision. In recent years, it has been found that magneto-rheological (MR) fluid can be quite promising for vibration isolation by virtue of its adaptive properties. This controllable change of state with some desirable features such as high strength and fast response time show great potential in many applications. In this project, we aim to design innovative dampers with MR fluids through coupling the material characteristics with the system dynamics. We also develop semi-active controllers for the systems with MR dampers. The devices developed will facilitate the full realization of smart dampers for vibration control of various systems such as train suspension systems and civil infrastructures.

Applications

• Suspension systems
• Vibratory machines
• High-rise buildings
• Bridges

Features

• Micron sized, polarizable particles in oil
• Newtonian in absence of applied field
• Develop high yield strength when magnetic field applied
• Provide means for a quiet, fast response interface between electronic control and mechanical devices

Principal Investigator
Prof. W. H. Liao
Department of Automation and Computer-Aided Engineering