Real-Time Control for Actuators

Unmet Need: Hysteresis free Actuators

Magnetorcheological (MR devices - also called actuators) employ MR fluids that change their viscosity upon exposure to the magnetic field. Thus these devices have great applications in civil engineering, automobile suspensions etc. The major drawback of these devices is the hysteresis behavior that they exhibit which makes it difficult to control them and thus affects the overall performance. It also needs to go through extensive testing before an accurate and repeatable response. Current mathematical models require constant magnetic field assumption.

The Technology: Real-time monitoring of the response

Researchers at WSU have developed an invention that relates to a method that can simplify the deployment of MR devices. The invention offers to address these issues and provides a way to monitor the response in real-time, thereby, eliminating the need for a detailed model. Specifically, our researchers have developed a prototype for an MR-brake with an embedded sensor to measure the magnetic induction in real time

Applications:

• Civil Engineering

• Haptics

• Exercise equipments

• Automobile suspensions

• Tactile displays.

Advantages:

• Directly measures the magnetic induction in real time.

• Bypasses difficulties to control magnetic induction by controlling field strength with the input current, and the hysteretic magnetic induction-field strength behavior.

• Overall high efficiency

Patent Information:

Issued US Application # 9,093,214