Design and Analysis of Magnetorheological Dampers for Train Suspension

This article aims at designing a magnetorheological (MR) fluid damper that is suitable for a semi-active train suspension system in order to improve its ride quality. A double-ended MR damper is designed, fabricated, and tested. Simulation is carried out by integrating the MR damper model in the secondary suspension of a full-scale railway vehicle model. The feasibility and effectiveness of the semi-active train suspension system with the developed MR dampers are investigated by comparing the controlled performances of the MR suspension system with different passive suspension systems. The results show that the semi-active suspension with the developed MR dampers can substantially improve the ride quality of the passengers.