Simulation and experimental study of a magnetorheological clutch in driving power generation

Abstract The torque to volume ratio and time response characteristics of the clutch during vehicle travel power generation are important issues that affect the quality and efficiency of power generation. In this work, a magnetorheological clutch was established based on the magnetorheological effect and analyzed its magnetic field strength, maximum output torque, time response characteristics, and temperature rise characteristics in driving power generation. The results indicate that the maximum torque of 77.05 N·m is only 3.68% less than the designed value. MR clutches have a better torque to volume ratio for the same volume. The MR clutch can realize millisecond regulation of power output characteristics, the response time of the torque loading section is about 345 ms, while the response time of the torque withdrawal section is about 680 ms. The MR clutch has good heat dissipation performance with an external water-cooling device. Using an MR clutch as a governor for traveling vehicle power generation, the time-varying engine speed is converted to a constant speed by continuously adjusting the excitation current, which can provide more efficient power generation.