This research undertakes the task of static and dynamic characterization for a squeeze mode Magneto-Rheological (MR) Fluid-Elastic mount. MR fluid's variable viscosity rate is advantageously used to develop a mount capable of mitigating input vibrations of varying magnitudes and frequencies depending on electromagnetic flux. Various mechanical components are synthesized into a dynamic testing rig in order to extract vibrational characteristics of the mount and to compare it with existing mount technologies. This project focuses on a mount design that was proposed and improved upon by previous researchers at the Center for Vehicle Systems and Safety (CVeSS). Using a previously designed electromagnet and test rig, the MR mounts are characterized using a quasi-static test. From this test we extract the stiffness and damping characteristics of the MR mount. A set of upper and lower limit baseline mounts made with rubber and steel inserts are also tested simultaneously with the MR mount. Their isolation improvements are compared with conventional passive mounts. After acquiring the stiffness and damping characteristics of the mount, a model is used to simulate a response to input vibrations in the frequency domain. A dynamic test is run on both the baseline testers as well as the MR mount. Having the frequency-magnitude response allows us to determine a usable resonance range and magnitude of vibration mitigation. The results of this study indicate that the mounts tested here are an effective means of suppressing start-up vibrations within mechanical systems and show promise for further development and application. Future studies of these systems can include tests of MR metal-elastic mount designs for durability as well as parametric studies based on MR fluid type and other factors. / Master of Science

Les fluides Magnéto-Rhéologiques (MR) de par leurs caractéristiques variant avec le champ magnétique qui leur est appliqué, sont utilisés dans la dissipation d’énergie mécanique. Ainsi, il existe de nombreux dispositifs utilisant ces fluides, par exemple des amortisseurs ou des freins, permettant de contrôler aisément leurs performances. Cependant ces dissipateurs d’énergie mécanique sont amenés à opérer dans des milieux soumis à des perturbations externes notamment des vibrations. Dans le cadre de cette thèse, nous étudions la stabilité des propriétés des fluides magnéto-rhéologiques lorsqu’ils sont perturbés par une stimulation de type vibratoire.Une comparaison analytique de l’ordre de grandeur des efforts vibratoires relativement aux efforts de cohésion magnétique ayant lieu dans le fluide laisse apparaître une possible perturbation du fluide par des vibrations.Nous avons mis en place un banc de test permettant à la fois d’injecter des perturbations vibratoires et de mesurer leur impact sur le fluide utilisé dans un mode classique de cisaillement.Dans certaines conditions, nous avons pu mesurer une diminution de la contrainte de cisaillement du fluide. La variation observée est liée à l’amplitude du mode de déformation de l’élément cisaillant. Trois directions de propagation de vibration selon un repère cylindrique sont étudiées et leurs impacts discutés. La direction normale à la surface est celle qui présente le plus d’effet. La variation maximale de la contrainte de cisaillement observée peut atteindre 40 %. Ce phénomène intervient pour des champs magnétiques faibles, inférieurs à 250 mT, et pour une vitesse de cisaillement faible, inférieure à 100 s-1.Enfin l’effet des vibrations est étudié sur des fluides de différentes viscosités et concentrations de particules, afin d’évaluer l’impact de ces derniers sur la stabilité du fluide / When subjected to a magnetic field, the Magneto-Rheological (MR) fluid increases its apparent viscosity and becomes a viscoelastic solid. They are used in applications requiring dissipation of mechanical energy such as shock absorbers or brakes. These devices operate in environments subject to external disturbances. In this thesis, we study the stability of magneto-rheological fluid properties when they are subjected to vibrations.When comparing the magnitude of the applied forces generated by the vibrations to the magnetic force between the particules it appears that these forces are of the same order. This implies a modification of the fluid behaviour.We developed a dedicated test bench allowing to induce vibration disturbances and to measure their impact on the fluid used in a shear mode configuration.We observed experimentally a decrease in the shear stress of the fluid. This variation depends on the modal deformation of the shearing element. Three propagation directions of vibration according to a cylindrical coordinate are studied and compared. The normal direction to the surface is the one with the most significant effect. The maximum shear stress variation reached was 40%. This phenomenon occurs for low magnetic fields, less than 250 mT, and low shear rate, less than 100 s-1.Finally, the vibration effect is studied on fluids with different viscosities and particle concentrations in order to assess their impact on the fluid’s stability.

This study of adaptable vibration isolating mounts sets out to capture the uniqueness of magnetorheological (MR) fluid's variable viscosity rate, and to physically alter the damping and stiffness when used inside an elastomeric mount. Apparent variable viscosity or rheology of the MR fluid has dependency on the application of a magnetic field. Therefore, this study also intends to look at the design of a compact magnetic field generator which magnetizes the MR fluid to activate different stiffness and damping levels within the isolator to create an adaptable and tunable feature. To achieve this adaptable isolator mount, a mold will be fabricated to construct the mounts. A process will then be devised to manufacture the mounts and place MR fluid inside the mount for later compatibility with the magnetic field generator. This process will then produce an MR fluid-elastic mount. Additionally for comparative purposes, passive mounts will be manufactured with a soft rubber casing and an assortment of metal and non-metal inserts. Next, the design of the magnetic field generator will be modeled using FEA magnetic software and then constructed. Stiffness or force/displacement measurements will then be analyzed from testing the isolator mount and magnetic field generator on a state-of-the-art vibration dynamometer. To vary the magnetic flux through the mount, an electro-magnet is used. To analyze the results, a frequency method of the stiffness will be used to show the isolators adaptation to various increments of magnetic flux over the sinusoidal input displacement frequencies. This frequency response of the stiffness will then be converted into a modeling technique to capture the essence of the dynamics from activating the MR fluid within the isolator mount. With this methodology for studying the adaptability of an MR fluid-elastic mount, the stiffness increases are dependent on the level of magnetic field intensity provided from the supplied electro-magnet. When the electro-magnet current supply is increased from 0.0 to 2.0 Amps, the mount stiffness magnitude increase is 78% in one of the MR fluid-elastic mounts. Through comparison, this MR fluid-elastic mount at off-state with zero magnetic field is similar to a mount made of solid rubber with a hardness of 30 Shore A. With 2 Amps of current, however, the MR fluid-elastic mount has a higher stiffness magnitude than a rubber mount and resembles a rubber casing with a steel insert. Moreover, when the current in the electro-magnet is increased from 0.0 to 2.0 Amps the equivalent damping coefficient in a MR fluid-elastic mount increases over 500% of the value at 0 Amps at low frequency. Through damping comparisons, the MR fluid-elastic mount with no current is similar to that of a mount made of solid rubber with a hardness of 30 Shore A. At full current in the electromagnet, however, the damping in the MR fluid-elastic mount is greater than any of the comparative mounts in this study. Therefore, the results show that the MR fluid-elastic mount can provide a wide range of stiffness and damping variation for real-time embedded applications. Since many aerospace and automotive applications use passive isolators as engine mounts in secondary suspensions to reduce transmitted forces at cruise speed, the MR fluid-elastic mount could be substituted to reduce transmitted forces over a wider range of speeds. Additionally, this compact MR fluid-elastic mount system could be easily adapted to many packaging constraints in those applications. / Master of Science