Magneto-rheological elastomer (MRE) based composite structures for micro-vibration control

Magneto-rheological elastomers （MILEs） are used to construct composite structures for micro-vibration control of equipment under stochastic support-motion excitations. The dynamic behavior of MREs as a smart viscoelastic material is characterized by a complex modulus dependent on vibration frequency and controllable by external magnetic fields. Frequency-domain solution methods for stochastic micro-vibration response analysis of the MRE-based structural systems are developed to derive the system frequency-response function matrices and the expressions of the velocity response spectrum. With these equations, the root-mean-square （RMS） velocity responses in terms of the one-third octave frequency band spectrum can be calculated. Further, the optimization problem of the complex moduli of the MRE cores is defined by minimizing the velocity response spectra and the RMS velocity responses through altering the applied magnetic fields. Simulation results illustrate the influences of MRE parameters on the RMS velocity responses and the high response reduction capacities of the MRE-based structures. In addition, the developed frequency-domain analysis methods are applicable to sandwich beam structures with arbitrary cores characterized by complex shear moduli under stochastic excitations described by power spectral density functions, and are valid for a wide frequency range.

A new variable stiffness absorber based on magneto-rheological elastomer

A new adaptive variable stiffness absorber was proposed based on a smart material, magnetorheological elastomer (MRE), and its vibration control performance was investigated. Before developing the proposed absorber, the MREs were firstly fabricated by curing a mixture of 704 silicon rubber, carbonyl iron particles and a small amount of silicone oil under an external magnetic field. Then the mechanical properties of the fabricated MREs were measured. On the basis of the measured mechanical characteristics, the MRE absorber was developed and its working characteristics were also tested under various input currents and excited frequencies. Finally, the control responses of a two-degree-of-freedom dynamic system with a MRE absorber were presented under a chirp input and used to evaluate the effectiveness of the MRE absorber.

Test for the deep:magnetic loading characterization of elastomers under extreme hydrostatic pressures

Soft robot incarnates its unique advantages in deep-sea exploration,but grapples with high hydrostatic pressure’s unpredictable impact on its mechanical performances.In our previous work,a self-powered soft robot showed excellent work performance in the Mariana Trench at a depth of 11000 m,yet experienced notable degradation in deforming capability.Here,we propose a magnetic loading method for characterizing elastomer’s mechanical properties under extremely high hydrostatic pressure of up to 120 MPa.This method facilitates remote loading and enables in-situ observation,so that the dimensions and deformation at high hydrostatic pressure are obtained and used for calculations.The results reveal that the Young’s modulus of Polydimethylsiloxane(PDMS)monotonously increases with pressure.It is found that the relative increase in Young’s modulus is determined by its initial value,which is 8% for an initial Young’s modulus of 2200 kPa and 38% for 660 kPa.The relation between initial Young’s modulus and relevant increase can be fitted by an exponential function.The bulk modulus of PDMS is about 1.4 GPa at 20℃ and is barely affected by hydrostatic pressure.The method can quantify alterations in the mechanical properties of elastomers induced by hydrostatic pressure,and provide guidance for the design of soft robots which serve in extreme pressure environment.

Smart chiral liquid crystal elastomers:Design,properties and application

Smart chiral liquid crystal elastomers are a class of soft photonic crystals with periodic nanostructures.There are two kinds of chiral liquid crystal elastomers with structural colors:cholesteric liquid crystal elastomers with a one-dimensional helical nanostructure and blue-phase liquid crystal elastomers with a three-dimensional photonic crystal nanostructure.The self-assembled nanostructure of chiral liquid crystal elastomers can be dynamically controlled under external stimulation,and the reflected color can be adjusted throughout the visible light range.Along with the development of innovative material systems and cutting-edge manufacturing technologies,researchers have proposed diverse strategies to design and synthesize chiral liquid crystal elastomers and have thoroughly investigated their properties and potential applications.Here,we provide a systematic review of the progress in the design and fabrication of smart chiral liquid crystal elastomers,focusing on the cholesteric liquid crystal elastomers via surface-enforced alignment,bar coating,3D printing,anisotropic deswelling methods as well as the three-dimensional selfassembly of blue-phase liquid crystal elastomers without additional alignment.Smart chiral liquid crystal elastomers are able to respond quickly to external stimuli and have a wide range of applications in areas such as adaptive optics,color-changing camouflage,soft robotics,and information encryption.This review concludes with a perspective on the opportunities and challenges for the future development of smart chiral liquid crystal elastomers.

Investigation on Magnetorheological Effect of Novel Self-healing Magnetorheological Elastomers

Magnetorheological elastomers(MREs)hold significant promise in various fields such as automotive engineering,and civil engineering,where they serve as intelligent materials.Depending on the application of an external magnetic field,these materials exhibit varying magnetorheological and viscoelastic properties,including shear stress,yield stress,dynamic moduli,and damping.In this work,a new type of MRE,termed self-healing MREs(SH-MREs),has been developed by adding a novel self-healing agent into existing MREs.The dynamic modulus and loss factor of SH-MREs with different compositions have been characterized under various conditions of frequency,temperature,and strain.The results show that as the strain value increases,the loss factor also increases.Moreover,the loss factor initially increases and then decreases with increasing magnetic field strength.Although higher concentrations of ferromagnetic particles increase the loss factor,they enhance the operational range due to their better responsiveness to magnetic fields.SH-MREs demonstrate improved damping capabilities,attributed to the formation of coordination bonds between ferromagnetic particles and the self-healing agent.The stable structure increases the viscosity of MREs.The results of the regression model suggest a direct proportionality between sensitivity to the magnetic field and the ferromagnetic particle concentration.

Actively tunable sandwich acoustic metamaterials with magnetorheological elastomers

Sandwich structures are widespread in engineering applications because of their advantageous mechanical properties.Recently,their acoustic performance has also been improved to enable attenuation of low-frequency vibrations induced by noisy environments.Here,we propose a new design of sandwich plates(SPs)featuring a metamaterial core with an actively tunable low-frequency bandgap.The core contains magnetorheological elastomer(MRE)resonators which are arranged periodically and enable controlling wave attenuation by an external magnetic field.We analytically estimate the sound transmission loss(STL)of the plate using the space harmonic expansion method.The low frequency sound insulation performance is also analyzed by the equivalent dynamic density method,and the accuracy of the obtained results is verified by finite-element simulations.Our results demonstrate that the STL of the proposed plate is enhanced compared with a typical SP analog,and the induced bandgap can be effectively tuned to desired frequencies.This study further advances the field of actively controlled acoustic metamaterials,and paves the way to their practical applications.

Advances in structural vibration control application of magneto-rheological visco-elastomer

Magneto-rheological visco-elastomer （MRVE） as a new smart material developed in recent years has several significant advantages over magneto-rheological liquid. The adjustability of structural dynamics to random environmental excitations is required in vibration control. MRVE can supply considerably adjustable damping and stiffness for structures, and the adjustment of dynamic properties is achieved only by applied magnetic fields with changeless structure design. Increasing researches on MRVE dy- namic properties, modeling, and vibration control application are presented. Recent advances in MRVE dynamic properties and structural vibration control application including composite structural vibration mitigation under uniform magnetic fields, vibration response characteristics improvement through harmonic parameter distribution, and optimal bounded parametric control design based on the dynamical programming principle are reviewed. Relevant main methods and results introduced are beneficial to understanding and researches on MRVE application and development.

Numerical Analysis on Magnetic-induced Shear Modulus of Magnetorheological Elastomers Based on Multi-chain Model

Based on the magnetic interaction energy, using derivative of the magnetic energy density, a model is proposed to compute the magnetic-induced shear modulus of magnetorheological elastomers. Taking into account the influences of particles in the same chain and the particles in all adjacent chains, the traditional magnetic dipole model of the magnetorheological elastomers is modified. The influence of the ratio of the distance etween adjacent chains to the distance between adjacent particles in a chain on the magnetic induced shear odulus is quantitatively studied. When the ratio is large, the multi-chain model is compatible with the single chain model, but when the ratio is small, the difference of the two models is significant and can not be neglected. Making certain the size of the columns and the distance between adjacent columns, after constructing the computational model of BCT structures, the mechanical property of the magnetorheological elastomers composed of columnar structures is analyzed. Results show that, conventional point dipole model has overrated the magnetic-induced shear modulus of the magnetorheological elastomers. From the point of increasing the magnetic-induced shear modulus, when the particle volume fraction is small, the chain-like structure exhibits better result than the columnar structure, but when the particle volume fraction is large,the columnar structure will be better.

Preparation and electrostriction of BaTiO_3/polyurethane nanocomposite elastomers

BaTiO3/polyurethane （BaTiO3/PU） nanocomposite elastomers were prepared from barium titanate nanoparticles, polyester polyol, 2, 4-toluene diisocyanate, 1,4-butanediol and 1, 1, 1-trimethanol propane by the one-step method. The density, hardness and dielectric constant of BaTiO3/PU nanocomposite elastomers increased with the increase of the content of BaTiO3 nanoparticles in nanocomposites. The electrostrictive properties of BaTiO3/PU nanocomposite elastomers were investigated by the digital speckle correlation method （DSCM）. It was found that through the on-and-off of the electric field, the electrostrictive strains of BaTiO3/PU nanocomposite elastomers revealed corresponding shrinkage and recovery. The electrostrictive coefficient of BaTiO3/PU nanocomposite elastomers was greater than that of the corresponding polyurethane elastomers, and the electrostrictive coefficient of composites decreased with the increase of the content of barium titanate nanoparticles.

Properties of magneto-rheological fluids based on amorphous micro-particles

To improve the magneto-rheological (MR) properties of magneto-rheological fluids, self-made amorphous alloy particles, the composition of which was Fe76Cr2Mo2Sn2P10B2C2Si4, were used as the disperse phase to replace traditional carbonyl iron (CI) particles to prepare amorphous based magneto-rheological fluid (AMRF). Soft magnetic properties and densities of the amorphous particles and the CI particles were tested and compared. The results indicate the amorphous particles present a lower density but larger magnetization intensity and larger permeability at lower field levels. Properties of the AMRF with 20% particles in volume fraction were tested and compared with the CI based MR fluid (CMRF). The AMRF presents a saturation yield stress of 41 kPa at ~227 kA/m and a sedimentation ratio of 80%. The results indicate the magneto-rheological fluid based on amorphous micro-particles has better MR properties and sedimentation stability than that based on CI particles at lower field levels (0-200 kA/m).

Novel magneto-rheological fluid damper for passive force/torque feedback

The damper is capable of providing a continuously variable dampering force/torque in response to a magnetic field. It consists of an upside cap and an underside cap with a rotor located between them, the magneto-rheological （MR） fluid is filled into the gaps between the rotor and the caps. When the viscosity of the MR fluid increases under the influence of the magnetic field, the movement of the rotor will be resisted. The output torque is made up of the torque caused by the magnetic field, the torque caused by the plastic viscosity of the MR fluid, and the torque caused by the coulomb friction. The viscous torque can be calculated by a simple method and the frictional torque can be obtained by experiments. The torque dependent on the magnetic field is obtained by electromagnetic finite dement analysis. Experiments are done on the damper prototype and the validity of the design is verified.

Effect of Cyclic Deformation on Magnetorheological Elastomers

Fatigue properties of magnetorheological elastomer （MRE） samples were investigated based on cis-polybutadiene rubber by using a fatigue test machine. Three MRE samples with iron particles mass fraction of 60%, 70%, and 80% were fabricated, and their properties dependence of three strain amplitudes （50%, 75%, and 100%） were measured. The absolute magnetorheological （MR） effect, storage modulus, and loss modulus of MRE samples after fatigue were evaluated by a modified dynamic mechanical analyzer. The results revealed that MR effect, storage modulus, and loss modulus of MREs containing 80% iron particles depended strongly on the strain amplitudes and the number of cycles, while storage mod-ulus and loss modulus of MREs containing 70% iron particles also depended on the strain amplitudes and the number of cycles but not as strongly as sample which contains 80% iron particles, but the properties of MREs containing 60% iron particles after cyclic deforma-tion were almost independent of the fatigued conditions. In order to investigate the fatigue mechanism of MREs, the sample was carried out with a quasi-static tensile testing and its surface morphology during testing was observed in situ by scanning electron microscopy.

Large conversion of energy in dielectric elastomers by electromechanical phase transition

When air is pumped in, a tubular balloon initially inflates slightly and homogeneously. A short section of the balloon then forms a bulge, which coexists with the unbulged section of the balloon. As more air is pumped in, the bulged section elongates at the expense of the unbulged section, until the entire balloon is bulged. The phenomenon is analogous to the liquid-to-vapor phase transition. Here we study the bulging transition in a dielectric elastomer tube as air is pumped into the balloon and a voltage is applied through the thickness of the membrane. We formulate the condition for coexistent budged and unbulged sections, and identify allowable states set by electrical breakdown and mechanical rupture. We find that the bulging transition dramatically amplifies electromechanical energy conversion. Energy converted in an electromechanical cycle consisting of unbulged and bulged states is thousands of times that in an electromechanical cycle consisting of only unbulged states.

Skyhook-based Semi-active Control of Full-vehicle Suspension with Magneto-rheological Dampers

The control study of vehicle semi-active suspension with magneto-rheological (MR) dampers has been attracted much attention internationally. However, a simple, real time and easy implementing semi-active controller has not been proposed for the MR full-vehicle suspension system, and a systematic analysis method has not been established for evaluating the multi-objective suspension performances of MR full-vehicle vertical, pitch and roll motions. For this purpose, according to the 7-degree of freedom (DOF) fullvehicle dynamic system, a generalized 7-DOF MR and passive full-vehicle dynamic model is set up by employing the modified Boucwen hysteretic force-velocity (F-v) model of the MR damper. A semi-active controller is synthesized to realize independent control of the four MR quarter-vehicle sub-suspension systems in the full-vehicle, which is on the basis of the proposed modified skyhook damping scheme of MR quarter-vehicle sub-suspension system. The proposed controller can greatly simplify the controller design complexity of MR full-vehicle suspension and has merits of easy implementation in real application, wherein only absolute velocities of sprung and unsprung masses with reference to the road surface are required to measure in real time when the vehicle is moving. Furthermore, a systematic analysis method is established for evaluating the vertical, pitch and roll motion properties of both MR and passive full-vehicle suspensions in a more realistic road excitation manner, in which the harmonic, rounded pulse and real road measured random signals with delay time are employed as different road excitations inserted on the front and rear two wheels, by considering the distance between front and rear wheels in full-vehicle. The above excitations with different amplitudes are further employed as the road excitations inserted on left and right two wheels for evaluating the roll motion property. The multi-objective suspension performances of ride comfort and handling safety of the proposed MR full-vehicle suspension are thus thoroughly evaluated by comparing with those of the passive full-vehicle suspension. The results show that the proposed controller can ideally improve multiobjective suspension performances of the ride comfort and handling safety. The proposed harmonic, rounded pulse and real road measured random signals with delay time and asymmetric amplitudes are suitable for accurately analyzing the vertical, pitch and roll motion properties of MR full-vehicle suspension system in a more realistic road excitation manner. This research has important theoretical significance for improving application study on the intelligent MR semi-active suspension.

Damping of magnetorheological elastomers

The damping property of magnetorheological elastomers(MREs) is characterized by a modified dynamic mechanical-magnetic coupled analyzer.The influence of external magnetic flux density,damping of matrix,content of iron particles,dynamic strain and driving frequency on the MREs' damping was investigated experimentally.The results indicate that the MREs' damping property depends on the interfacial slip between the inner particles and the matrix.Different from the general composite materials,the interfacial slip in MRE is affected by the external applied magnetic field.

Semi-active Sliding Mode Control of Vehicle Suspension with Magneto-rheological Damper

The vehicle semi-active suspension with magneto-theological damper（MRD） has been a hot topic since this decade, in which the robust control synthesis considering load variation is a challenging task. In this paper, a new semi-active controller based upon the inverse model and sliding mode control （SMC） strategies is proposed for the quarter-vehicle suspension with the magneto-rheological （MR） damper, wherein an ideal skyhook suspension is employed as the control reference model and the vehicle sprung mass is considered as an uncertain parameter. According to the asymptotical stability of SMC, the dynamic errors between the plant and reference systems are used to derive the control damping force acquired by the MR quarter-vehicle suspension system. The proposed modified Bouc-wen hysteretic force-velocity （F-v） model and its inverse model of MR damper, as well as the proposed continuous modulation （CM） filtering algorithm without phase shift are employed to convert the control damping force into the direct drive current of the MR damper. Moreover, the proposed semi-active sliding mode controller （SSMC）-based MR quarter-vehicle suspension is systematically evaluated through comparing the time and frequency domain responses of the sprung and unsprung mass displacement accelerations, suspension travel and the tire dynamic force with those of the passive quarter-vehicle suspension, under three kinds of varied amplitude harmonic, rounded pulse and real-road measured random excitations. The evaluation results illustrate that the proposed SSMC can greatly suppress the vehicle suspension vibration due to uncertainty of the load, and thus improve the ride comfort and handling safety. The study establishes a solid theoretical foundation as the universal control scheme for the adaptive semi-active control of the MR full-vehicle suspension decoupled into four MR quarter-vehicle sub-suspension systems.

Ionic Elastomers for Electric Actuators and Sensors

In the past decades,ion conductive polymers and elastomers have drawn worldwide attention for their advanced functions in batteries,electroactive soft robotics,and sensors.Stretchable ionic elastomers with dispersed soft ionic moieties such as ionic liquids have gained remarkable attention as soft sensors,in applications such as the wearable devices that are often called electric skins.A considerable amount of research has been done on ionic-elastomer-based strain,pressure,and shear sensors;however,to the best of our knowledge,this research has not yet been reviewed.In this review,we summarize the materials and performance properties of engineered ionic elastomer actuators and sensors.First,we review three classes of ionic elastomer actuators—namely,ionic polymer metal composites,ionic conducting polymers,and ionic polymer/carbon nanocomposites—and provide perspectives for future actuators,such as adaptive four-dimensional(4D)printed systems and ionic liquid crystal elastomers(iLCEs).Next,we review the state of the art of ionic elastomeric strain and pressure sensors.We also discuss future wearable strain sensors for biomechanical applications and sports performance tracking.Finally,we present the preliminary results of iLCE sensors based on flexoelectric signals and their amplification by integrating them with organic electrochemical transistors.

Experimental investigation on vibration characteristics of sandwich beams with magnetorheological elastomers cores

A sandwich beam specimen was fabricated by treating with MR elastomers between two thin aluminum face-plates.Experiment was carried out to investigate the vibration responses of the sandwich beam with respect to the intensity of the magnetic field and excitation frequencies.The results show that the sandwich beams with MR elastomers cores have the capabilities of shifting natural frequencies and the vibration amplitudes decrease with the variation of the intensity of external magnetic field.

Fuzzy Hybrid Control of Vibration Attitude of Full Car via Magneto-rheological Suspensions

A magneto-rheological（MR） semi-active suspension system with the controllable damping forces has received more attention in reducing the vibration of a vehicle. However, many control strategies only discussed one or two vibration states of the vehicle based on a quarter-car model or a half vehicle model via MR suspensions. They cannot provide a satisfying whole-vehicle performance on a road test. Hence, a full car vibration model via an MR suspension system is proposed. To reduce the heave, pitch and roll motion of the vehicle body and the vertical vibration of four wheels, a fuzzy hybrid controller for vibration attitude of full car via MR suspensions is proposed. First, a skyhook-fuzzy control scheme is designed to reduce the heave, roll and pitch motion of the vehicle body. Second, a revised ground hook control strategy is adopted to decrease the vertical vibration of the wheels. Finally, a hybrid control scheme based on a fuzzy reasoning method is proposed to tune the hybrid damping parameter, which is suitable for coordination the attitude of the vehicle body and the wheels. A test and control system for the vibration attitude of full car is set up. It is implemented on a car equipped with four MR suspensions. The results on random highway and rough road indicate that the fuzzy hybrid controller can decrease the vibration accelerations of the vehicle body and the wheels to 65%-80% and 80%-90%, respectively. It reduces the automotive vibrations of heave, roll and pitch more effectively than a passive suspension and an MR suspension with a traditional hybrid control scheme so that it achieves better ride comfort and road holding concurrently. This paper proposes a new fuzzy hybrid control（FHC） method for reducing vibration attitude of full car via MR suspensions and develops a road test to evaluate the FHC.

SEMI-ACTIVE CONTROL OF VEHICLE SUSPENSION WITH MAGNETO-RHEOLOGICAL DAMPERS:PART Ⅰ——CONTROLLER SYNTHESIS AND EVALUATION

A modified skyhook-based semi-active controller is proposed for implementing an asymmetric control suspension design with symmetric magneto-rheological （MR） dampers. The controller is formulated in current form, which is modulated by integrating a continuous modulation and an asymmetric damping force generation algorithms, so as to effectively minimize switching and hysteretic effects from the MR-damper. The proposed controller is implemented with a quarter-vehicle MR-suspension model, and its relative response characteristics are thus evaluated in terms of defined performance measures under varying amplitude harmonic, rounded pulse and random excitations. The sensitivity of the semi-active suspension performance to variations in controller parameters is thoroughly evaluated. The results illustrate that the proposed skyhook-based asymmetric semi-active MR-suspension controller has superior robustness on the system parameter variations, and can achieve desirable multi-objective suspension performance.