Research on dynamic performance and mechanical model of a novel magnetorheological shear thickening damper with adaptive variable damping gap

Magnetorheological shear thickening fluid (MRSTF) is an intelligent composite material, which shows considerable potential in semi-active vibration control. However, the current research is mostly limited to the study of the rheological properties of materials, and there is still a lack of damper structures that can effectively utilize the dual-control characteristics of MRSTF. In this paper, a novel damper structure with adaptive adjustable damping gap length is proposed. Its unique design integrates an adaptive internal damping gap that changes with the movement of the piston and an external gap controlled by the magnetic field, providing a relatively wide range of current-controlled damping force and reliable adaptive adjustment capabilities. Based on the M-S shear stress constitutive model and structural characteristics, the mechanical model is derived from the force balance of the micro-element, and verified by performance test and curve fitting. The effectiveness of the new damper structure proposed in this paper is verified by dynamic performance test. The results show that the damper has a wide range of current controlled damping force at low speed and reliable adaptive adjustment capability at high speed. Finally, the accuracy and universality of the modified mechanical model of damper are verified by curve fitting method. All these studies can offer an effective guidance for further application of MRSTF in the field of semi-active vibration control.