Experimental tests and numerical modeling of magnetorheological dampers: the influence of model parameters

Among the different semi-active control devices proposed in literature, in the last years those one based on the properties of the MR fluids have been attracting the interest of a large number of researchers. The structural control strategies need of a clear and effective modelling of the mechanical and dynamical properties of magnetorheological (MR) dissipaters. In the framework of a research project financed by the European Commission within the 5th FP (1998-2002), MR dampers have been manufactured with European technology, and subsequently they have been tested during a wide experimental campaign. The experimental behaviour of such devices turned out to be different from the one found in literature for similar devices, and allowed the adoption of a more simple numerical model with respect to the most applied model in literature. In the present paper, the semi-active MR devices tested in laboratory are characterized by using either a properly defined model or the dominant model of literature, showing that the 2 model, even if characterized by a different complexity, yield the same accuracy in fitting the experimental data.