SThe paper mainly investigates the dynamic response of different metal foam MR fluid materials experimentally. Metal foam magnetorheological (MR) fluid materials can be used to manufacture the low-cost controllable damping devices with needless of seal and long service life. MR fluid is stored in metal foam by the capillary force mainly.In the action of magnetic field, MR fluid will be extracted out from metal foam and fill up the shear gap, and then, produce the MR effect. Three types of metal foams with different relative permeability, such as, Fe, Ni and Cu, are applied to store MR fluid. A set of testing system, including the plate-on-plate shear test rig, electromotor and force sensor, is built to investigate the dynamic performance of these materials. In order to describe the dynamic response accurately, three parameters of response time are introduced and defined. The magnetic field, both in the shear gap and the pore of metal foam, is simulated by the FEM software. The experimental results show that the response time of metal foam MR fluid materials will change with different currents, which provides the theoretical and experimental basis for the further development of metal foam MR fluid dampers or actuators.
Index TermsDynamic performance, magnetorheological fluid, metal foam.