Dynamic Analysis of the Non-Linear Behavior of a Composite Sandwich Beam with a Magnetorheological Elastomer Core

This work deals with the active control of the vibrations of mechanical structures incorporating magnetorheological elastomer. The damping coefficient and shear modulus of the elastomer increase when exposed to a magnetic field. Compared with the vibration control where the elastomer is permanently exposed to a magnetic field, the control of this process through time reduces vibrations more effectively. The experimental study for the vibrations of a sandwich beam filled with an elastomer is conducted, followed by a numerical study using the Abaqus code. The vibration damping is found to be dependent on the loading rate of micro-size ferromagnetic particles in the elastomer.