| Semi-active controllable shock absorbers utilizing magneto-rheological fluid (MRF) have the capacity to produce variable damping proportionally reactive to the input. The purpose of this thesis is to experimentally and theoretically study the design and performance of MRF dampers developed at UNR. The goals of this study are two-fold. The first concerns the development of a non-Newtonian parametric fluid mechanics model and the employment of three-dimensional finite element analysis (FEA) for use as design tools. The second goal is to design, model, and implement a controllable MRF retrofit piston to the rear shock absorber of an off-road motorcycle.; The non-Newtonian fluid mechanics model results and FEA results are shown to be in agreement with experimental data. Further, it was shown that a MRF damper can be successfully integrated into the rear suspension of a motorcycle, giving the suspension system instantaneous controllability while maintaining the OEM stroke length and performance. |
