A bearing application using magnetorheological fluids

A conventional automotive driveline center bearing (CB) consists of a roller bearing that rests on a U-shaped support, which includes a bladder formed by an elastomer, providing damping for radial vibrations between the roller bearing and the housing. In order to improve the vibration and force handling characteristics for a driveline CB, use of magnetorheological (MR) fluids has been envisioned in place of the traditional elastomer. In this work, expressions for the forces acting on a vehicle center bearing have been derived along with a simulation of the magnetic field in a MR-CB. Experimental studies have been conducted on a MR-CB prototype. It is seen that such a system can be effectively used in vehicle center bearings to improve the vibration and force handling characteristics for the automotive drivelines.