A new resonant based measurement method for squeeze mode yield stress of magnetorheological fluids

A new approach to measure the field-dependent yield stress of magnetorheological (MR) fluids in squeeze mode using the resonance concept is proposed. The measurement system is designed using the piezolaminated cantilever beam coupled with an electromagnetic coil based MR fluid squeezing setup. The cantilever beam is maintained at resonance using simple closed-loop electronics. The magnetic field produced by the coil changes the viscosity of MR fluids and produces an additional stiffness to the resonating cantilever beam. The shift in resonant frequency due to the change in viscosity of the MR fluid is measured, and the shift in frequency is analytically related to the yield stress. Two types of MR fluids based on sphere and plate iron particles are used to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed measurement system. (paper)