Search Results

Electrorheological (ER) fluids have received a great deal of attention in the past decade. The promise of valves with no moving parts and simple damping devices have led many scientists to investigate this intriguing technology. Typically, though, these materials have exhibited shortcomings due to low strength and a narrow temperature range of operation. Recent advances in electrorheological fluid technology, as well as in the development of magnetic analogs to electrorheological fluids have led to the availability of controllable fluids that exhibit high strength, low viscosity and stability over a broad temperature range. This paper discusses the properties exhibited by these “new” electrorheological and magnetorheological (MR) fluids, as well as the feasibility of using these fluids in a variety of controllable devices.