A Case Study of Magnetorheological Damper Models with Experimental Confirmation

Abstract

This study aims to review and evaluate the performance of nonparametric and parametric models of magnetorheological (MR) dampers, which are commonly used as structural control devices. To do so, a comprehensive experimental investigation was conducted to examine the behavior of MR dampers to ascertain the performance of the control device while mimicking the alignment when it is used as a structural control device. A total of 156 performance tests were performed, and the results were compared with an optimal numerical Bouc-Wen model. The parameters obtained from performance testing were employed to define the coefficient of determination (R2), which reflects the accuracy of the damper model in predicting the performance of the control device subjected to different external forces. The findings suggest that the parameters of the MR damper obtained from testing the device in a horizontal orientation that simulates its position in practical structural control applications can be reliably predicted by the modified Bouc-Wen model. This study provides useful information on the efficiency and accuracy of MR damper models that can be utilized in the realm of structural vibration control.