Large-scale test bench for the durability analysis of magnetorheological fluids

Abstract

Durability is an essential issue for magnetorheological fluids, particularly in brake and clutch applications. To investigate the lifetime dissipated energy within a technically relevant scale and under consideration of the volume of the magnetorheological fluid and the transmitted torque, a large-scale durability test bench is developed that is based on a test actuator for continuous loads. A key benefit of the test bench is the possibility of varying the influencing quantities, which enables the characterization of the magnetorheological fluid during the durability experiment and allows for application-oriented load cycle profiles with time-varying influencing quantities. Three seal types were tested, offering sufficient performance. The measured results show a dependency between the lifetime dissipated energy and the power dissipation. In addition, a pressure increase indicates the impeding failure of the magnetorheological fluid, while varying the load cycle profile did not show any observable effects.