Design and Development of Internal Wound Magnetorheological Elastomer Mount for Structural Vibration Isolation

Abstract

Vibration isolation of structures is crucial for enhancing reliability when subjected to mechanical vibrations and shocks. This research investigates the application of Magneto-Rheological Elastomer (MRE) mounts to mitigate vibrations in a 15 kg structure. A unique MRE mount with internal windings was designed and developed using magneto-static analysis with maximizing magnetic flux density across MRE through the Design of Experiments (DoE). MRE samples were prepared considering 20, 40 and 60% (wt.) carbonyl iron particle (CIP) content within a silicon elastomer matrix and analyzed under a rheometer. Further, these MRE samples were considered for forced vibration studies with structures placed on MRE mounts across different frequencies. Repeated experiments with all in-house MRE samples demonstrated that the MRE mount significantly mitigated vibrations at different currents and compositions. The transmissibility plot revealed a maximum amplitude reduction of 3.73 times for the 60% MRE sample. These results underscore the importance of optimizing MRE mount and CIP content for effective vibration isolation, which is vital for prolonging the operational lifespan of critical structures. © The Institution of Engineers (India) 2025.