Analyzing the influence of the core pre-structure on the dynamic response of a magnetorheological elastomer sandwich structure

Recently, vibration control has been useful in various engineering fields such as aerospace, adaptive dynamic vibration absorbers, and infrastructure. Magnetorheological elastomer (MRE) is an interesting material for controlling and suppressing undesirable vibrations through the application of a magnetic field. The present study aims at analyzing the pre-structure of the magnetorheological viscoelastic core in the dynamic response of an MRE-sandwich structure. The forced vibration tests were performed under a non-homogenous magnetic field to evaluate the dynamic properties of the MRE-sandwich structure in a frequency bandwidth range of 0-250 Hz. Experimental results show that the proposed MRE-sandwich structures are capable of eliminating unwanted resonances due to induced magnetic field intensity in the activated region, especially at the fundamental mode. Moreover, results highlight that an oriented pre-structure in an MRE-sandwich has an attenuation effect on vibrations in the low frequency range. Additionally, the external magnetic field increased the structural vibrations damping capability by approximately 200%. In addition, the oriented pre-structures of the MRE core were also used to dissipate vibration. Consequently, they could potentially be used in vibration attenuation applications such as stop operations in dynamic structures.