An Experimental Investigation on Mechanical Fatigue Property of Chemical Starch-Based ER Fluids

In this work, mechanical fatigue properties of a chemical starch-based ER fluid are empirically investigated. To do this, a flow-mode type electroviscometer, which has the same working mode as the cylindrical ER damper, is constructed. The linear reciprocating motion is obtained by driving a hydraulic power unit, and the number of fatigue cycle is measured by the limit switch. The field-dependent yield stress and response time to step input are evaluated as a function of the operating cycle. In addition, the vibration control performance of ER suspension for a passenger car is analyzed by incorporating the full-vehicle model with the yield stresses evaluated at different operating cycles.