Magneto-rheological fluid flow through complex valve geometries

Abstract

In this study, the fl ow behaviour of Magneto-Rheological (MR) fl uid through complex valve geometries is investigated using analytical, computational and experimental approaches. A two-dimensional MR valve model is constructed for computational simulation based on a unique MR device that has circular, radial and annular fl ow regions. When compared with analytical solutions, the results of the Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) model, which has taken into account minor losses of MR fl uid fl ow in different valving areas, are in good agreement with those of experimental measurements. It has been shown that the Bingham CFD model works well for complex fl ow geometries in the two-dimensional domain and that the CFD method can be greatly benefi cial in the design and development of MR devices for practical applications.