An experimental study on the effects of loading cycles on the performance of STF dampers (STFDs) are presented. The rheological properties of a STF sample are investigated under both ascending and descending loads. A smart damper is then developed and manufactured by employing the STF sample. Two series of cyclic tests were conducted to investigate the behaviour of the STFD under various sinusoidal loading conditions with a constant amplitude of 20 mm. Eight different loading frequencies (0.01, 0.1, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, 3.0 Hz) were imposed to research on the effect of frequency. Three different loading frequencies (1, 2 and 3 Hz) were applied to the STFD under a constant amplitude (20 mm) with long-term loading (200 cycles). The energy dissipation and dynamic properties of STFD were investigated by analysing the force-displacement and force-velocity curves. The STF damping force is found to decay exponentially as the loading cycles increase. An equation is proposed for the description of STFD force at different loading cycles and frequencies.

In general, shear thickening fluids show a marked increase in viscosity beyond a critical shear rate, which can be attributed to the hydrodynamic clustering effects, where in any external energy acting on a shear thickening fluid is dissipated quickly. However, there is a lack of theoretical modeling to predict the viscosity curve of shear thickening fluids, which changes continuously with the increasing shear rate. In this article, a phenomenological continuous viscosity modeling for a class of shear thickening fluids is proposed. The modeling predicts shear thickening and thinning behaviors that are naturally exhibited by shear thickening fluids for high and high enough values of the shear rate. The result shows that the phenomenological modeling provides a very good fit for several independent experimental data sets. Therefore, the proposed modeling can be used in numerical simulations and theoretical analysis across different engineering fields.

Shear thickening fluid (STF) is a nano-smart material that exhibits an instantaneous increase in viscosity when subjected to specific external loads. Notably, its viscosity response does not necessitate external energy input, making it widely applicable in vibration control, energy absorption, and vibration reduction. This paper first presents an introduction and analogy to the evolution of the thickening mechanism of STF. It then discusses factors that influence the rheological properties of STF, including the dispersed phase, dispersion medium, additives, and external environment. Furthermore, it explores various calculation models of STF in engineering applications, considering their advantages, disadvantages, and applicability. The paper later reviews the progress of STF utilization in vibration reduction and energy consumption, specifically focusing on improving mechanical properties in STF sandwich panels. Finally, it delves into the feasibility of STF application in vibration control by detailing the dynamic mechanical properties and applicability of vibration reduction equipment and calculation models based on STF.