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Magnetorheological (MR) actuators are semi-active devices, extensively studied and used in the field of vibration reduction systems, especially eminent with their significant low energy consumption, and a large tunable range of continuously controllable damping force. Their force output is a complex function involving two hysteretic mechanisms, namely, magnetic and mechanical (hydraulic). While the total hysteresis mechanism with these devices has been studied rather extensively, little attention has been paid to their magnetic hysteretic behaviour. In this study the authors examine the behaviour of the dual coil MR actuator’s control circuit and attempt to extract the magnetic flux information from the laboratory measurements of electrical signals applied to it. The study is complemented by employing the Bouc-Wen (B-W) hysteretic operator to copy the flux-current (magnetic) hysteretic relationship. The B-W model’s parameters are identified by means of fmincon algorithm from the reconstructed flux & current time histories by fitting the model predictions to the flux data. The study’s outcome reveals that the B-W model can be effectively used in predicting the magnetic flux variation vs the exciting current. The results can be applied to prototyping a model-based controller for MR actuator systems.

MR actuators,Hysteresis,Magnetic hysteresis,Bouc-Wen model,Identification