Hybrid variable damping control: design, simulation, and optimization

This paper presents the design, formulation, and performance optimization of a new hybrid electromagnetic damper in response to the demand for a tunable, regenerative and fail-safe damping device for various applications. Damping in a multitude of engineering applications has a variable threshold requirement based on system excitation. Since system excitation is also variable; dampers are such that an adequate amount of damping is provided, opposed to an optimal amount as a function of excitation. In this research it was shown that, by implementing a hybrid damper design based on a bias component provided through a hydraulic medium and a variable component provided by electromagnetics, an optimal damping quantity can be obtained for a given excitation. The produced damping force and electrical power were formulated based on the structure’s geometry and input displacement. The presented design was optimized for a scooter scaled application and it was shown that the damping and regenerative characteristics can be adjusted for different requirements. Furthermore, it was illustrated that this design has the potential to be scaled for other applications as well.