For efficient fast control of suspension systems with magnetorheological dampers controlled by semi-active algorithms, the time response of the magnetorheological damper is one of the most important parameters which influences the performance of the suspension system. The time response of commercial magnetorheological dampers with common controllers is in the range of tens of milliseconds, which is too long for efficient real-time control of car suspension. This article describes the ways how to design magnetorheological damper with short response time. First part describes the elimination of long time response caused by high inductance of electrical circuit of magnetorheological damper using current controller. The second part describes elimination of long time response caused by eddy currents which are induced in the magnetic circuit of magnetorheological damper. The new piston of the magnetorheological damper is designed from material with high relative permeability but low electrical conductivity (ferrite). The time responses of magnetic induction and damper forces were measured and compared to original commercial Delphi damper. Results showed rapid improvement in time response when the current controller is used and when the piston is constructed from ferrite materials.

The paper deals with design, simulation and experimental testing of a magnetorheological (MR) valve with short response time. The short response time is achieved by a suitable design of an active zone in combination with use of a ferrite material for magnetic circuit. The magneto-static model and the simplified hydraulic model of the MR valve are examined and experimentally verified. The development the MR valve achieves an average response time 4.1 ms and the maximum dynamic force range of eight.

This paper deals with the design and tests of a magnetorheological fluid seal (MRFs) using the innovative concept of the magnetic circuit, which allows the achievement of a promising trade-off between burst pressure and friction of the seal. Low friction torque and low burst pressure are typical for a ferrofluid seal (FFs). Replacement of the ferrofluid by magnetorheological fluid increases the burst pressure of the seal but the friction torque of the seal increases too. The optimum for sealing application is low friction torque and high burst pressure. The presented design is based on the pinch mode of magnetorheological fluid. The geometry of the seal was determined by a magnetostatic model. Subsequently, the chosen concept of the seal was manufactured and tested. Pinch MRFs achieved lower friction torque than common (standard) MRFs and a higher burst pressure than any FFs.

The transient behaviour of magnetorheological (MR) devices is an important parameter for modern semi-actively controlled suspension systems. A significant part of the MR device response time is the MR fluid response time itself. A significant factor is the so-called rheological response time. The rheological response time is connected with the structuring particle's time and the development of shear stress in MR fluid during the deformation. The main aim of this paper is to experimentally determine the rheological response time of MR fluid and evaluated the effect of shear rate, magnetic field level, and carrier fluid viscosity. The unique design of the rheometer, which allows the rapid change of a magnetic field, is presented. The rheological response time of MRF 132-DG and MRC-C1L is in the range of 0.8–1.4 ms, depending on the shear rate. The higher the shear rate, the shorter the response time. It can be stated that the higher the magnetization of the MR fluid, the lower the response time. The higher the viscosity, the higher the rheological response time. The measured data of rheological response time was generalized and one master curve was determined.

This article presents a list of suitable techniques and materials leading to the design of an ultra-fast magnetorheological (MR) valve. Two approaches for achieving the short response time are proposed: (a) by means of material, and (b) by means of the shape. Within the shape approach, the revolutionary technique of 3D metal printing using a selective laser melting (SLM) method was tested. The suitability of the materials and techniques is addressed based on the length of the response time, which is determined by the FEM. The simulation results determine the response time of the magnetic flux density on the step signal of the current. Subsequently, the response time is verified by the measurement of the simple magnetorheological valve. The following materials were tested: martensitic stainless steel AISI 420A (X20Cr13), cutting steel 11SMn30, pure iron for SLM, Sintex SMC STX prototyping material, ferrite N87, and Vacoflux 50. A special technique involving grooves was used for preventing eddy currents on materials with a high electrical conductivity. The simulation and experimental results indicate that a response time shorter than 2.5 ms can be achieved using materials such as Sintex SMC prototyping, ferrite N87, and grooved variants of metal pistons.

Sedimentation stability is one of the most important features of magnetorheological (MR) fluids. Clay-based additives are known for improving the stability of the MR fluids. This article describes the dependency of the clay-based additive concentration on the sedimentation stability and the rheological properties of MR fluids in non activated state (without magnetic field). The sedimentation was measured for two different base oil viscosities, two different carbonyl iron particle sizes, and additive concentration between 2 and 6 wt%. The measurements showed that the sedimentation rate exponentially decreases with the additive concentration, while the yield stress is rising. The measurements of rheological properties also showed the dependency of rheological properties of MR fluid with a clay-based additive on loading history. The influence of carrier fluid viscosity or particle size has a minor effect on the sedimentation in comparison with the clay-based additive. The addition of 6 wt% slows down the sedimentation by more than 3000 times compared to MR fluid without additives. The MR fluid with 4.85% of clay-based additive achieves slightly better sedimentation stability than commercial MR fluid LORD MRF122.