Smart fabric adaptive stiffness for active vibration absorbers

摘要

Unconstrained magnetorheological-elastomers (MRE) experience a stiffness increase and elastomeric deformation in response to an applied magnetic field. An MRE consists of ferromagnetic particles dispersed in a host elastomer matrix. This study considers whether the stiffness change of MRE springs is due to magnetic particle-to-particle interactions or to elastomer deformation. If the stiffening is attributable to magnetic particle interaction, then it should occur even in the absence of the elastomer. To test this hypothesis, a smart fabric consisting of low-carbon steel thread in one direction and nonmagnetic thread in the other was created. Two extension springs were placed in parallel with this smart fabric, and placed in between two iron masses. An electromagnet coil wound about one of the masses provided the source of magnetic field across the smart fabric. The frequency response of the device was measured when the coil was driven by a DC current, at 0.5 Amp increments, from 0 to 4. The device exhibited a 33% increase in stiffness at 4 Amps compared to the stiffness at 0 Amps. While this shift is not as large as shifts observed in MREs, the design was not optimized for iron content, and only had a 0.6% iron content.