Theoretical and experimental studies on a magnetorheological brake operating under compression plus shear mode

The torque characteristics of magnetorheological brakes, consisting of rotating disks immersed in a MR fluid and enclosed in an electromagnetic casing, are controlled by regulating the yield stress of the MR fluid. An increase in yield stress increases the braking torque, which means that the higher the yield strength of the MR fluid, the better the performance of the MR brake will be. In the present research an application of compressive force on MR fluid has been proposed to increase the torque capacity of MR brakes. The mathematical expressions to estimate the torque values for MR brake, operating under compression plus shear mode accounting Herschel–Bulkley shear thinning model, have been detailed. The required compressive force on MR fluid of the proposed brake has been applied using an electromagnetic actuator. The development of a single-plate MR disk brake and an experimental test rig are described. Experiments have been performed to illustrate braking torque under different control currents (0.0–2.0 A). The torque results have been plotted and compared with theoretical study. Experimental results as well as theoretical calculations indicate that the braking torque of the proposed MR brake is higher than that of the MR brake operating only under shear.