Durability investigation on torque control of a magneto-rheological brake: experimental work

Abstract

This study experimentally investigates the torque control durability of a disc brake featuring a magneto-rheological (MR) fluid. An appropriate size of MR disc brake is designed based on a mathematical model, and a prototype is manufactured. A small-scale laboratory-scale test bed is then developed using a DC motor, in-line torque sensor, and the MR brake. S45C and S20C steels are inserted into a tapered hole on the surface of the brake disc. After 105 cycles of operation in shear mode, the wear properties of the MR brake are characterized by average surface roughness measurements, scanning electron microscope images, and energy dispersive x-ray spectra. The torque control performances before and after the operation cycles are examined using open-loop control and closed-loop proportional-integral-derivative control. As expected, the control performance degraded after 105 cycles of operation in the open-loop case, but not in the closed-loop case. This aspect is demonstrated by the sinusoidal torque-tacking control performance before and after the operation cycles.