Performance comparison of electrorheological valves with two different geometric configurations: cylinder and plate

This article presents a control performance comparison of electrorheological (ER) fluid-based valves between cylindrical and plate configurations. After identifying Bingham characteristics of chemical starch-based ER fluid, an analytical model of each valve is established. In order to reasonably compare valve performance, design constraint is imposed by the choosing the same electrode gap and length, and each ER valve is manufactured. Valve performances such as pressure drop and response time are then evaluated and compared through analytical model and experiment. In addition, a time-varying pressure tracking controllability of each ER valve is experimentally realized.