Design of an Asymmetric Damping Structure for a Single Cylinder and Single Rod MR Damper

Magnetorheological (MR) dampers possess the ability to alter the damping force of the damper by modifying the viscosity of Magnetorheological Fluid (MRF). The prevalent MR dampers mostly feature a single damping channel structure, which necessitates adjusting the magnetic field strength to attain asymmetric damping force during the compression and recovery stroke. However, it amplifies the influence of the control circuit’s time-delay on damping force. This article proposes the design of a dual-damping-channel MR damper to structurally achieve the asymmetric damping force. The dimensions of key components were determined using damping calculation formulas and electromagnetic simulation. A prototype MR damper was manufactured, and experimental verification was conducted. The results indicate that the damper operates optimally, and the damping force value and adjustable range of damping force meet the design objectives. The indicator characteristic curve of the shock absorber shows that the MR shock absorber designed in this paper can effectively reduce the influence of MRF time-delay on the damping force value of the shock absorber.