A miniature MRE isolator for lateral vibration suppression of bridge monitoring equipment: design and verification

The testing accuracy and service life of long-span bridge monitoring equipment declines over time due to the adverse effects of environmental vibration during its operation. Therefore, it is essential to use effective methods to reduce the vibration of these devices. In this paper, inspired by the controllable and field-dependent properties of magnetorheological elastomer (MRE), a miniature laminated MRE isolator is designed and manufactured to provide a relatively stable working environment for the monitoring equipment. The method and process of its specific design are elaborated in detail based on the shape factor, allowable seismic displacement, lateral stiffness, allowable vertical load and analysis of magnetic circuit. Besides, a series of dynamic tests are conducted to obtain the characteristics of the MRE isolator under various loading conditions. The experimental results show that the maximum increase of the effective stiffness is 114.12% with the current increasing from 0 A to 3 A. Consequently, the validity of its design is confirmed by a fuzzy control experiment. (technical note)