Investigating the Effect of Material Properties and Geometric Design of Scaled Magneto-rheological Brake through FEMM

Abstract

Magneto-rheological (MR) brakes have enormous potential to replace conventional brakes because of their higher degree of controlling capability. With the help of magnetic field, MR brakes can be activated to provide braking. Appropriate material selection and geometric dimensions will maximize MR brakes’ performance. The present study focuses on determining higher magnetic permeable material to generate more magnetic induction in the fluid gap, along with finding geometric dimensions of the scaled (miniature sized) MR brakes (mass <2kg) through finite element analysis. Finite Element Method Magnetics (FEMM) software is a helpful tool for determining magnetic induction present in the MR gap. The influence of several magnetic and non-magnetic materials on disc-type MR brakes is examined. MR brake’s geometric dimensions significantly influence the magnetic induction in the fluid-filled MR gap, and the ideal material combination necessary for improved performance is identified. The geometric dimensions were selected by varying fluid gaps between 1-3 mm and rotor radius of 15 mm and 30 mm. The study examined two plate MR brake performance in the outer and inner MR fluid gaps using optimal materials and geometric dimensions obtained from the initial sections. © 2023 Kadam et al.