An Electroviscous Damper for Rotor Applications

A new type of vibration damper for rotor systems has been developed and tested. The damper contains electroviscous fluid which solidifies and provides Coulomb-type friction damping when an electric voltage is imposed across the fluid. The damping capacity is controlled by the voltage. The damper has been incorporated in a flexible rotor system and found to be able to reduce high levels of unbalance excited vibrations. Other proven advantages include controllability, simplicity, and no requirement for oil supply. The anticipated capabilities to circumvent the critical speeds and to suppress rotor instabilities are still unconfirmed.