The rheological properties of magnetorheological (MR) materials, such as their viscosity and dynamic modulus, can be tuned or controlled by changing the intensity of the magnetic field using appropriate control schemes. Thanks to their robustness, performance and smart properties, numerous studies have been undertaken on the development of new MR materials, and microscopic and macroscopic modelling approaches. Novel applications include engine mounts and clutch systems in the automotive industry, shock absorbing safety devices for cockpit seats in aerospace, and shock absorption from movement in semi-active human prosthetic legs. This book introduces magnetorheological fluids and elastomers, and explores their material properties, related modelling techniques and applications in turn. The book offers insights into the relationships between the properties and characterisation of MR materials and their current and future applications, making it useful reading for researchers, engineers and graduate students who work in the field of smart materials and structures.

Magnetorheological Fluid Technology: Applications in Vehicle Systems compiles the authors' recent work involving the application of magnetorheological (MR) fluids and other smart materials in vehicles. It collects concepts that have previously been scattered in peer-reviewed international journals. After introducing the physical phenomena and properties of MR fluids, the book presents control methodologies for effectively controlling vehicle devices and systems featuring MR fluids. The authors also introduce the hysteresis identification of MR fluid and discuss its application through the adoption of the Preisach and polynomial models. They then describe the application of MR-equipped suspension systems in passenger, tracked, and railway vehicles; the application of MR brake systems in passenger vehicles, motorcycles, and bicycles; and the application of several MR technologies in heavy vehicles. The final chapter explores the use of haptic technologies for easily operating vehicle instruments and achieving optimal gear shifting with accelerator pedals. Assuming some technical and mathematical background in vibration, dynamics, and control, this book is designed for scientists and engineers looking to create new devices or systems for vehicles featuring controllable MR fluids. It is also suitable for graduate students who are interested in the dynamic modeling and control methodology of vehicle devices and systems associated with MR fluid technology.

Magnetorheological Fluid Technology: Applications in Vehicle Systems compiles the authors' recent work involving the application of magnetorheological (MR) fluids and other smart materials in vehicles. It collects concepts that have previously been scattered in peer-reviewed international journals.

After introducing the physical phenomena and properties of MR fluids, the book presents control methodologies for effectively controlling vehicle devices and systems featuring MR fluids. The authors also introduce the hysteresis identification of MR fluid and discuss its application through the adoption of the Preisach and polynomial models. They then describe the application of MR-equipped suspension systems in passenger, tracked, and railway vehicles; the application of MR brake systems in passenger vehicles, motorcycles, and bicycles; and the application of several MR technologies in heavy vehicles. The final chapter explores the use of haptic technologies for easily operating vehicle instruments and achieving optimal gear shifting with accelerator pedals.

Assuming some technical and mathematical background in vibration, dynamics, and control, this book is designed for scientists and engineers looking to create new devices or systems for vehicles featuring controllable MR fluids. It is also suitable for graduate students who are interested in the dynamic modeling and control methodology of vehicle devices and systems associated with MR fluid technology.

Currently, many smart materials exhibit one or multifunctional capabilities that are being effectively exploited in various engineering applications, but these are only a hint of what is possible. Newer classes of smart materials are beginning to display the capacity for self-repair, self-diagnosis, self-multiplication, and self-degradation. Ultimately, what will make them practical and commercially viable are control devices that provide sufficient speed and sensitivity. While there are other candidates, piezoelectric actuators and sensors are proving to be the best choice.
Piezoelectric Actuators: Control Applications of Smart Materials details the authors? cutting-edge research and development in this burgeoning area. It presents their insights into optimal control strategies, reflecting their latest collection of refereed international papers written for a number of prestigious journals.

Piezoelectric materials are incorporated in devices used to control vibration in flexible structures. Applications include beams, plates, and shells; sensors and actuators for cabin noise control; and position controllers for structural systems such as the flexible manipulator, engine mount, ski, snowboard, robot gripper, ultrasonic motors, and various type of sensors including accelerometer, strain gage, and sound pressure gages.

The contents and design of this book make it useful as a professional reference for scientists and practical engineers who would like to create new machines or devices featuring smart material actuators and sensors integrated with piezoelectric materials. With that goal in mind, this book:

• Describes the piezoelectric effect from a microscopic point of view
• Addresses vibration control for flexible structures and other methods that use active mount
• Covers control of flexible robotic manipulators
• Discusses application to fine-motion and hydraulic control systems
• Explores piezoelectric shunt technology

This book is exceptionally valuable as a reference for professional engineers working at the forefront of numerous industries. With its balanced presentation of theory and application, it will also be of special interest to graduate students studying control methodology.

In the last two decades, a great effort has been directed towards the development of new smart materials actuators and their corresponding application devices and systems. Currently, some smart materials actuators are commercially applied for several technologies including automotive technology, but some of the smart materials actuators are still far from meeting strict practical requirements such as reliability, cost-effectiveness and robustness against unexpected environment conditions. Therefore, it is timely and appropriate to present recent research on smart materials actuators in terms of material characterisation and advanced application systems in a single book. This book describes smart materials actuator technology from materials characterisations to device or system applications. The smart materials introduced in this book include magnetorehological fluid (MRF), magnetorheological elastomer (MRE), electrorheological fluid (ERF), piezoelectric material (PM), shape memory ally (SMA), dielectric elastomer (DE) and ionic polymer (IP). Both physical and chemical characterisations of each smart material are described in details in terms of actuating aspect. In addition, several application devices utilising each smart material are introduced to provide practical controllability as a potential candidate for new actuators. The application devices introduced in this book include MRF damper for automotive suspension, PM unimorph pump for micro-hydraulic system, MRE flexible structure for vibration control, IP biomimetic micro-robot and SMA civil structure and damper system for vibration attenuation.