Application of Adaptive Tuned Magneto-Rheological Elastomer for Vibration Reduction of a Plate by a Variable-Unbalance Excitation

The present study on vibration reduction in systems wherein the excitation frequency is variable designed and fabricated a magnetorheological elastomer (MRE)-based tunable dynamic vibration absorber and evaluated its performance in an experimental manner. The design of an MRE-based adaptive tuned dynamic vibration absorber (ATDVA) involves designing two parts: stiffness and mass. Before designing the MRE-based ATDVA, this study determined the resonance frequency of a target object for vibration reduction. For the design of the ATDVA’s stiffness part, the thickness of specimens was determined by measuring the rate of variation of the MRE’s shear modulus with respect to the MRE’s thickness. The design of the mass part was optimized using sensitivity analysis and genetic algorithms after the derivation of formulas for its magnetic field and mass. Further, upon the application of an electric current to the MRE, its stiffness was measured so that the stiffness of the designed MRE-based ATDVA could be tuned accordingly. Finally, the vibration-reducing performance of the MRE-based ATDVA was evaluated to determine the applicability of the vibration absorber under the condition of variable-frequency excitation.