Numerical analysis of a monotube mixed mode magnetorheological damper by using a new rheological approach in CFD

Abstract

In this study, the analytical Herschel-Bulkley fluid model of a monotube mixed mode MR damper was examined. The MR damper was modeled and simulated by using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and magnetic finite elements analysis (FEA). The magnetic effects were modeled in a coupled manner with CFD. The actual rheological data was used in the CFD solver to find the cell-based viscosity by using a shear stress interpolation method. The MR damper was manufactured, and experiments were conducted to find the force-displacement and force-velocity correlations, and a good agreement was found between the numerical results and experimental data. The experimental results were also compared with analytical and numerical models under various current values. The CFD results are valuable in predicting the actual characteristics of the non-Newtonian flow inside an MR damper, and it can be used for various non-Newtonian fluid CFD models.