Characterization and performance analysis of a shear thickening fluid damper

Shear thickening fluid is a smart material with rheological properties that can be rapidly varied by excitation changes. To fully explore the advantages of using shear thickening fluid in various devices, a phenomenological model for simulating complex viscosity characteristics of the shear thickening fluid has been developed, and an analytical model has been presented to predict the mechanical characteristics and performance of a damper filled with shear thickening fluid. Based on the analytical model, the force displacement curves are first analyzed for different excitation amplitudes and frequencies. Second, an investigation of the time history of the damping force at various excitation amplitudes is conducted. Finally, the effects of key design parameters on the force displacement and force velocity curves are discussed. The results show that the shear thickening fluid damper exhibits significant velocity correlation, and the damping force increased as the shear rate of shear thickening fluid increased until the threshold value. For the vibration with high frequency, or fast velocity, or large amplitude, the shear thickening fluid is easy to have high shear rate, which results in a great vibration control capability for the shear thickening fluid damper.