The Influence of Force and Magnetic Field on the Self-Sensing Characteristics of Magneto-Rheological Elastomer Bearing

A new self-sensing bearing based on magneto-rheological elastomers (MREs) was proposed in this paper. For the application in vibration isolation system, the effects of force field and magnetic field on the self-sensing characteristics were simultaneously investigated. Based on the modified MRE, the small-scaled bearing experimental system was built. The results confirmed that the bearing has excellent transient response ability when subjected to impact load and magnetic field (applied by a controlled current). The self-sensing characteristic presents a monotonous decline trend with well linearity. This finding is significant because it suggests that the bearings based on the modified MREs are potentially capable of being used for vibration absorbers and sensor simultaneously. It's a valuable way to simplify the system structure and improve the response performance of vibration isolation.