Evaluation of Modified Hysteresis Models for Magneto-Rheological Fluid Dampers

The reported models on characterization of hysteretic force-velocity properties of controllable magnetorheological (MR) fluid dampers are critically reviewed in view of their performance. The vast majority of reported models lack consideration of damping force dependence upon the control current, and the frequency and magnitude of excitation. Selected models are modified by integrating a nonlinear function describing the control current dependency in order to enhance their applicability for the MR damper over a wide range of excitations. The parameters of the proposed modified models are identified using the measured data attained under a wide range of control current and excitation conditions. The results suggest that the integration of the control current function could considerably enhance the validity of the models.