PROPOSITION AND FABRICATION OF A NEW DESIGN OF MR BRAKE USING MR FLUID

Magneto-rheological (MR) fluid is a kind of functional fluid, whose rheological properties change with respect to the applied magnetic field. The MR fluid typically consists of silicon oil and micron-sized magnetic particles. MR fluids are now being developed and used in car shocks, damper for washing machine vibration reduction, prosthetic limbs (leg, hand in medicine), exercise equipment, and surface polishing of processing machine parts. In this paper, a new MR brake using large size magnetic particles mixed with normal MR fluid is proposed and fabricated to get higher magnetic permeability, and to increase magnetic flux in a qualitative manner. The operational mode of the proposed MR brake is completely different from the already known shear or valve mode. Finally, the braking force is compared between MR Brake with large size magnetic particles and MR Brake with only MR Fluid, and the braking force of the proposed MR Brake with large size magnetic particles is verified to be very effective by simulation.