Geometry Optimization of Magneto-Rheological Damper for Vehicle Suspension via Finite Element Method

This paper presents an optimal design of a passenger vehicle magnetorheological (MR) damper based on finite element analysis. In order to achieve this goal, a cylindrical MR damper that satisfies specific volume for a middle-sized commercial passenger vehicle is designed using an optimization methodology. The optimization problem is to find optimal geometric dimensions of the electromagnetic circuit for the MR damper in order to maximize the damping force. A first-order optimization method using commercial finite element method (FEM) software is adopted for the constrained optimization algorithm. After manufacturing the MR damper with optimally obtained design parameters, its field-dependent characteristics are experimentally evaluated.