Performance Comparison of the Electro/Magneto-Rheological Elastomers for Vibration Reduction of Rotating Rotors

The objective of the current study is to investigate the application of smart Magneto/Electro-Rheological (MR/ER) elastomers in vibration suppression and extending the stability region of the rotors system. The rotor is modeled via finite element method based on the Rayleigh beam theory. Proposed model takes the rotary inertia, gyroscopic effects and internal damping of the shaft into account. The stiffness and damping of the elastomers are considered as functions of the applied electric or magnetic fields. The simulation results reveal that the use of MR/ER elastomer leads to down shifting of the critical speeds and a reduction in its corresponding vibration amplitude. Also, the stability limit speed of the system is improved. Simulation results revealed that MR elastomer supports are superior on ER elastomer supports in the vibration suppression and extending the stability region of the rotor system. Finally, to improve the stability of the rotor system to higher operating rotational speeds, an on-off control strategy is employed. The proposed novel idea can be effectively utilized for optimization of the vibration level and widening the stability regions of rotating systems.