A Smart Damper Using Magnetic Friction And Precompressed Rubber Springs

Abstract

-This study proposes a new technology for a smart damper with flag-shaped behavior using the combination of magnetic friction and rubber springs. The magnet provides friction and, thus, energy dissipation, and the rubber springs with precompression contribute to present self-centering capacity of the damper. To verify their performance, this study conducts dynamic tests of magnet frictional dampers and precompressed rubber springs. For the purpose, hexahedron Neodymium (NdFeB) magnets and polyurethane rubber cylinders are used. In the dynamic tests, loading frequency varies from 0.1 to 2.0 Hz. The magnets provide almost perfect rectangular behavior in force-deformation curve. The rubber springs are tested without or with precompression. The rubber springs show larger rigid force with increasing precompression. Lastly, this study discusses combination of rigid-elastic behavior and friction to generate 'flag-shaped' behavior for a smart damper and suggests how to combine the magnets and the rubber springs to obtain the flag-shaped behavior. Keywords -Magnetic Friction, Energy Dissipation, Precompressed Spring, Self-centering, Smart Damper