Abstract
Electro-rheological gel (ERG) is a functional elastomer, which changes its surface adhesive property according to the intensity of electric field. In this study, ERG is applied to multiple-disk brake element to realize both simplification of structure and wide range of controlled brake torque. First, static performance of ERG multiple-disk brake (ERG-MDB) is evaluated experimentally. It is clear that a generated brake torque depends on an electric field and the number of layer of ERG. ERG-MDB with 6 layers shows 5 times brake torque as high as that with 1 layer. Second, considering the dynamical model of the ERG-MDB, dynamic performance is investigated through the forced vibration test. The result shows that dynamic damping and stiffness coefficients are changed widely according to applied electric field.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.