Design of energy harvesting magneto-rheological fluid damper for vehicle

Abstract

Modern vehicles must include dampers in the suspension system in order to absorb vibration energy while driving. Passive dampers have dominated the market for many years. To increase the passenger comfort levels, suspension systems with controlled dampers that can adjust to uneven road profiles are needed. Semi-active suspensions have emerged as one of the most popular modern damping solution types due to their ability to manage damping force. The semi-active suspension system of the car uses magneto-rheological (MR) dampers for vibration control. The MR damper consumes low energy, has quick response, and better controllability of the damping force. A part of the energy lost in vehicle dampers can be recovered due to developments in energy-harvesting devices. This regenerated energy can be used in vehicles to power a number of extra systems, such as lighting, heating and air conditioning, and other things. This research attempts to develop an MR fluid damper with energy-harvesting rack and pinion system. The purpose of this study is to design a suspension system that combines an MR fluid damper and an energy-harvesting rack and pinion system. The design calculation involves setting the design parameters for the system that harvests energy and the MR fluid damper. Also, static structural analysis is carried out for both systems using finite element analysis software.