Electrorheological Squeeze-Flow Shock Absorber

Abstract

We developed a squeeze-flow shock absorber and tested it under impact conditions typical of heavy-duty recoil mechanisms. In contrast to common shear-flow shock absorbers, here the volume of fluid driven by the piston does not flow through the regions of high electric field. Experiments on three commercially available "dry" ER fluids showed that only the Bayer fluid was able to exhibit electric-field-induced stresses under our test conditions. But the results which were obtained with this fluid illustrate the numerous advantages to be gained by utilizing a squeeze-flow shock absorber in advanced systems subjected to impact disturbances and destructive vibrations.