Parameter identification of simplified Bouc-Wen model for a MR damper using efficient GA

Experimental study of the MR damper which is designed and made in our laboratory is introduced in this paper. The experimental results indicate that the mechanical behaviour of the MR damper displays remarkably nonlinear hysteretic characteristics. In order to characterize this nonlinear system, the present study sets out to propose a simplified Bouc-Wen model and then adopt genetic algorithm to identify its parameters. The experimental data of the MR damper responses verify that the proposed approaches are capable of efficient computations and accurate parameter estimation. Also suggested are the implications of the present study on other novel smart dampers.