Preliminary Study of Pressure Self-Sensing Miniature Magnetorheological Valves

Magnetorheological (MR) valves have been included in many innovative engineering systems, such as dampers, clutches, or brakes, with different fields of application. Their role serves actuation purposes, while integrated displacement and velocity sensing in the actuators has been studied, as well. In this paper, we present the working principle, design, and preliminary results of a miniature MR valve with pressure self-sensing capabilities that exploits the electromagnetic induction phenomenon. The valve can work in a pressure range from 200 kPa to 700 kPa, supplied by a current of a maximum 0.3 A. The suggested valve design is realized with two coils, one for the current application and the magnetic field creation and one for the sensing of the electromagnetic induction. A specially designed test-bench, that facilitates MR fluid flow and pressure regulation, was used for the experimental procedures.