Experimental investigation of the dynamic performances of a miniature soft Magneto-Rheological shock absorber

In the proposed work, the dynamic performances of a miniature soft Magneto-Rheological (MR) shock absorber are analyzed. The final application for which the damper has been designed and in which it will be embedded is a variable stiffness insole for patients with foot neuropathy and undergoing plantar ulcerations. Considering that the common design methodology used to dimension MR devices merely defines the maximum ratings of the sustainable efforts (i.e. maximum sustainable load for MR dampers, pressure drop for MR valves and braking torque for MR brakes or clutches), the relevance of their dynamics involved (respectively the impact velocity of the loading body for shock absorbers, the imposed flow rate and the rotating speed for MR valves and brakes) is often neglected in the dimensioning phase although it may assume a fundamental relevance. The understanding of the dynamic behavior of MR devices become even more important if these latter are part of a element or a more complex system in which all the elements differently affect its final behavior. With this respect, test sessions are conducted to experimentally evaluate the contribution that the different elements composing the damper in order have on the overall performances of the final systems.