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Optimal design of a novel hybrid MR brake for motorcycles considering axial and radial

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2012 Smart Mater. Struct. 21 055003

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IOP PUBLISHING SMART MATERIALS AND STRUCTURES
Smart Mater. Struct. 21 (2012) 055003 (10pp) doi:10.1088/0964-1726/21/5/055003

Optimal design of a novel hybrid MR

brake for motorcycles considering axial
and radial magnetic flux
Q H Nguyen1 and S B Choi2,3
1
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Ho Chi Minh University of Industry, Ho Chi Minh City,
Vietnam
2
Smart Structures and Systems Laboratory, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Inha University,
Incheon 402-751, Korea

E-mail: seungbok@inha.ac.kr

Received 1 November 2011, in final form 21 February 2012

Published 3 April 2012
Online at stacks.iop.org/SMS/21/055003
Abstract
This work presents an optimal solution of a new type of motorcycle brake featuring different
smart magnetorheological (MR) fluids. In this study, typical types of commercial MR fluid are
considered there for the design of a motorcycle MR brake; MRF-122-2ED (low yield stress),
MRF-132-DG (medium yield stress) and MRF-140-CG (high yield stress). As a first step, a
new configuration featuring a T-shaped drum MR brake is introduced and a hybrid concept of
magnetic circuit (using both axial and radial magnetic flux) to generate braking force is
analyzed based on the finite element method. An optimal design of the MR brake considering
the required braking torque, the temperature due to friction of the MR fluid, the mass of the
brake system and all significant geometric dimensions is then performed. For the optimization,
the finite element analysis (FEA) is used to achieve principal geometric dimensions of the MR
brake. In addition, the size, mass and power consumption of three different MR motorcycle
brakes are quantitatively analyzed and compared.
(Some figures may appear in colour only in the online journal)

1. Introduction works on the design of MR brake systems for automobile

It is well known that magnetorheological fluids (MRF) are
suspensions of particles, which can be magnetized, and
exhibit fast, strong and reversible changes in their rheological
properties when a magnetic field is applied. Therefore, the
MRF holds great potential in many applications that require
an electromechanical interface such as clutch, brakes, valves,
dampers and robotics [1, 2]. In the last decade, there have been
a large amount of research focusing on design, control and
evaluation of prosthetic devices using an MR brake [3–8]. In
the design of an MR brake for prosthetic devices, generally,
a disc-type MR brake is employed and a compact size of the
MR brake and adaptive control of the prosthetic devices are
important issues. Recently, there have been several research
3 www.ssslab.com.
applications. The required braking torque for automotive
brakes is much greater than that for prosthetic devices, so
a multiple-disc configuration of MR brakes is applied in
general. Kieburg et al [9] have performed research on design,
modeling and realization of a multiple disc-type MR clutch
for an automotive four-wheel-drive clutch. Modeling and
experimental results showed a promising application of an
MR clutch to replace conventional automotive four-wheel-
drive systems. Karakoc [10] have researched on the optimal
design of disc-type MR brakes for vehicles. In his research
work, an objective function considering braking torque and
mass of the MR brake was considered. In order to increase
braking torque, a multiple-disc configuration was proposed.
However, the temperature of the MR brakes was not taken
into account in this research. Park et al [11] have designed
an automobile MR brake incorporated with a sliding mode

0964-1726/12/055003+10$33.00 1 c 2012 IOP Publishing Ltd Printed in the UK & the USA

Smart Mater. Struct. 21 (2012) 055003 Q H Nguyen and S B Choi

controller to optimally control the wheel slip of a vehicle and

the results were evaluated through computer simulation. More
recently, Park et al [12] have performed multidisciplinary
design optimization of an automotive MR brake, in which
a multi-objective function considering both braking torque
and mass was considered. Nguyen et al [13] have performed
thorough research on optimal design of MR brakes for a
middle-sized vehicle considering the available space, mass,
braking torque and steady heat generated by a zero-field
friction torque of the MR brake on cruising at a speed of
100 km h−1 . Furthermore, different configurations of an MR
brake and different MR fluids are taken into account in that
research. Although several research works on configuration
design and optimal design of MR brakes for automotive uses
have been performed, a few experimental results or field tests
for such a brake have been conducted due to high cost and
safety reasons. In contrast to several research works on MR
brakes for automotive application, the research on MR brakes Figure 1. Proposed configuration of a hybrid T-type MR brake for
for motorcycles is considerably rare. motorcycles.
It is also noted here that most of the MR brakes and
clutches proposed in the previous research for automotive
The housing drum, on which the wheel is fastened, rotates
application employ a multiple disc-type configuration of the
around the shaft hub. Two wire coils are wound at the two
MR brake. However, the disc-type brake exhibits inherent
ends of the flange of the T-shaped drum. The space between
disadvantages such as high cost and large required space,
the rotary drum and the stationary drum is filled with MR
especially the size in radius. In some applications such as the
fluid. When two counter currents are applied to the coils, a
brake system for motorcycles, the available space for the rear
mutual magnetic circuit is generated as shown in the figure.
brake system is very limited, especially in radial dimensions.
This mutual magnetic circuit results in an induced stress of
Therefore, a new compact configuration of MR brake that can
MR fluid in the annular gaps (the gap at the inner and outer
provide a large required braking torque is very significant for faces of the T-flange) and the radial gaps (end-face gaps). The
such a motorcycle brake system. induced stress generates a controllable braking torque of the
Consequently, the main technology contribution of MR brake. In this case, a large contact area between the rotary
this work is to focus on developing a novel hybrid drum and the energized MR fluid results in a high braking
configuration of MR brake for middle-sized motorcycles torque of the brake. Furthermore, by using the T-shaped drum
that can replace conventional drum-type brakes (CDB). The with the two coils embedded at the ends of the T-flange, the
proposed configuration utilizes both axial and radial magnetic wire winding can be done easily and the brake is fabricated in
flux to generate the required braking force. In addition, three a very compact fashion.
different smart MRFs which have different field-dependent The main issue in the design of the MR fluid brake is
yield stresses are used for optimal design. In the optimization to establish a relationship between the braking torque, the
procedures, the required braking torque, the temperature geometric parameters of the brake structure and the magnetic
due to friction of the MR fluid, the mass of the brake field strength. The braking torque of the proposed hybrid MR
system and significant geometric dimensions are considered brake comes from two sources: the friction of the MR fluid
as objective functions and design constraints as well. The at the end-faces of the T-shaped stationary drum (E1 and E2 )
optimal solutions are achieved by adopting the finite element against the rotary housing and the friction between the MR
analysis (FEA), and the maximum braking torque and power fluid in the annular ducts at the T-flange (A1 and A2 ) and the
consumption of three brakes using three different MRFs are cylindrical faces of the housing. Firstly, the friction caused by
compared. the MR fluid at the end-faces of the T-shape stationary drum
is analyzed. The induced torque from the MR fluid in a radial
2. T-shaped drum MR brake
duct acting on the rotary housing can be expressed by
In this research work, a new configuration of MR brake is Z R2
proposed to replace a CDB for middle-sized motorcycles. T = 2π r2 τe dr (1)
Taking the available space for most commercial motorcycles’ R1
CDBs into consideration, a new MR brake shown in figure 1 where R1 and R2 are the inner and outer radii of the duct. τe
was proposed. Significant geometric dimensions of the brake is the shear stress acting on the fluid, which can be predicted
are also shown in the figure. As shown in the figure, a from the Herschel–Bulkley model of the MR fluid as follows:
stationary T-shaped drum made of magnetic steel is fixed to
τe = τye + Ke γ̇ene (2)
a shaft hub made of nonmagnetic steel, and the hub is in
turn fastened to the shaft of the wheel. The stationary drum is where τye is the yield stress of the MR fluid, the exponent ne is
embedded in a rotary housing drum made of magnetic steel. called the flow behavior index and Ke is called the consistency.

2
Smart Mater. Struct. 21 (2012) 055003 Q H Nguyen and S B Choi
" ne2 +3 #
τye , Ke and ne are fluid properties and their values depend on 4π µe2 R4of

Rif
the exerted magnetic flux density in the MR fluid (BMR ). γ̇e is Te2 = 1− 
(ne2 + 3)d Rof
the shear rate of the MR fluid. Because the gap size of the duct
is very small, the shear rate of the MR fluid in the gap can be 4π τye2 3
+ (Rof − R3if ) (9)
approximately determined as follows: 3
na1
Rif

r Ta1 = 2π R2if La1 τya1 + 2π R2if La1 Ka1 (10)
γ̇e = . (3) d
d
Rof na2
 
In the above, d is the gap size and  is the angular velocity of Ta2 = 2π R2of La2 τya2 + 2π R2of La2 Ka2 (11)
the rotary housing. d
Substituting equations (2) and (3) into equation (1) yields where Ri is the inner radius of the T-shape drum, and Rif , Rof
the following equation: are respectively the inner and outer radii of the T-flange.
Z R2  ne Z R2 La1 and La2 are the effective lengths of the inner and outer
r cylindrical faces of the T-flange. τye1 , τye2 , τya1 and τya2 are
T = 2π 2
r Ke dr + 2π r2 τye dr. (4)
R1 d R1 the yield stresses of the MR fluid in the T-leg end-face duct,
It is generally known that the magnetic density in the MR T-flange end-face duct, and the inner and outer cylindrical
gap is a function of radius r. Thus the values of τye , Ke , ne ducts of the T-flange, respectively. ne1 , ne2 , na1 and na2 are
respectively the behavior indices of the MR fluid in the T-leg
of the MR fluid are functions of r. Equation (4) then have to
end-face duct, T-flange end-face duct, and the inner and outer
be calculated by numerically integrating. In order to facilitate
cylindrical duct of the T-flange. µe1 and µe1 are respectively
the calculation, it is assumed that the magnetic density in the
the equivalent viscosity of the MR fluid in the T-leg and the
MR gap is constant and a numerically integrated average value
T-flange end-face duct, µeq1 = Ke1 (Rif /d)ne1 −1 and µeq2 =
of the magnetic density is used. By this assumption, τye , Ke
Ke2 (Rof /d)ne2 −1 . Ke1 , Ke2 , Ka1 and Ka2 are respectively
and ne are independent of r. Equation (4) is then analytically
the consistencies of the MR fluid in the T-leg end-face duct,
integrated to yield
T-flange end-face duct, and the inner and outer cylindrical
"  ne +3 #
2π µeq R42 R1 2π τye 3 ducts of the T-flange.
Te = 1− + (R2 − R31 ) In the case of no power being applied to the coils,
(ne + 3)d R2 3
the braking torque (zero-field friction torque) can be
(5) approximately determined as follows:
where µeq = Ke (R2 /d)ne −1 is known as the equivalent
" #
4π µeq0 R4of Ri n0 +3
 
viscosity of the fluid. Tb0 = 1− 
(n0 + 3)d Rof
Similarly to the MR fluid in the radial duct, the friction
torque due to the MR fluid in an annular duct acting on the 4π τy0 3
+ (Rof − R3i ) + 2π τy0 (R2if La1 + R2of La2 )
corresponding face of the rotary housing can be determined 3
 n0
by  2+n 2+n
+ 2π K0 (Rif 0 La1 + Rof 0 La2 ) (12)
d
Ra na
 
Ta = 2π R2a La τa = 2πR2a La τya + 2π R2a La Ka (6) where n0 , K0 and µeq0 are the behavior index, the consistency
d
and the equivalent viscosity of the MR fluid when no magnetic
where τa is the wall stress at the cylindrical face of the field is applied.
housing, τya is the yield stress of the MR fluid in the annular
duct. Ka and na are the consistency and behavior index of MR 3. Optimal design of MR brake
fluid in the annular duct, and La and Ra are the radius and
length of the annular duct. In the design of a brake system for motorcycles, an important
Applying equations (5) and (6) for end-face MRF ducts issue to be taken into account is the required braking torque. In
and annular MRF ducts of the proposed MR brake, the braking order to determine the required braking torque, it is assumed
torque can be calculated as follows: that the braking torque of the MR brake is independent of
Tb = 2(Te1 + Te2 ) + Ta1 + Ta2 . (7) motorcycle speed. This assumption is valid because braking
torque due to the yield stress is much greater than that due to
where Te1 , Te2 , Ta1 and Ta2 are respectively the braking the viscosity of the MR brake. By neglecting minor frictions
torques at the T-leg end-face (face E1 ), the T-flange end-face such as tire–road friction and drive line friction, the following
(E2 ), and the inner and outer cylindrical faces of the T-flange equation of energy conservation for a braking process can be
(A1 and A2 ), which are determined by derived:
MVc2 Vc2
"  ne1 +3 #
4π µe1 R4if Ri = Ttb θb = Ttb
Sb
= Ttb (13)
Te1 = 1−  2 Rw Rw 2ab
(ne1 + 3)d Rif
or
4π τye1 3
+ (Rif − R3i ) (8) Ttb = Rw ab M. (14)
3
3
Smart Mater. Struct. 21 (2012) 055003
In the above, M and Rw are the total mass and wheel radius of
the motorcycle, Vc is the cruising speed at which the braking
process is commenced, Sb is the traveling distance of the
motorcycle during the braking process, θb is the angle the
wheel rotates during the braking process, ab is the braking
deceleration and Ttb is the total braking torque applied to
the motorcycle. In motorcycle brake design, the braking
deceleration is normally set by ab = 0.75g, considering the
safety performance of the braking process. By taking the
XV535-110 Virago motorcycle (Yamaha) as a sample of a
middle-sized motorcycle, the total mass and wheel radius
are 400 kg and 0.325 m, respectively. It is noted that the
total mass is comprised of a basic mass of 235 kg and a
passengers’ mass of 165 kg. From equation (14) the total
required braking torque of the motorcycle is around 950 N
m. This total required braking torque is distributed into two
terms: 55% for the front brake, which is around 520 N m,
and 45% for the rear brake, which is around 430 N m. This
study focuses on design of the MR brake in order to replace
the conventional rear brake. Thus, the required braking torque
of the proposed MR brake is 430 N m.
Unlike other MR fluid devices such as MR dampers, MR
mounts, etc. the MR fluid in brake systems for automotive
use and motorcycles is exerted by a very high shear rate
continuously during a long duration. Therefore, even though
at a zero magnetic field, a potentially high temperature of
the MR fluid in the brake that reduces the performance of
the MR fluid may occur. This research considers the steady
temperature generated by the frictional force of the MR fluid
at a zero magnetic field when the motorcycle is cruising
constantly at 120 km h−1 . It is noted that the heat generated
by a braking process during the cruising of the motorcycle is
also significant and should be taken into account. Thus, the
following constraint should be satisfied:
TMR = TMR0 + 1Tb ≤ Tmax (15)
where Tmax is the maximum allowable working temperature
of MR fluids which is Tmax = 130 ◦ C, 1Tb is the increase
of MR fluid temperature due to a repetitive braking process
during cruising and TMR0 is the steady temperature generated
by the zero-field frictional force of the MR fluid when the
motorcycle is cruising. By assuming that braking energy of a
braking process is totally dissipated and converted into heat,
1Tb can be simply estimated as follows:
1Q MVc2
 
1 for middle-sized motorcycles is obtained and presented by
1Tb = = 0.45 (16)
mb c mb c 2 adopting three different MR fluids which have different
where 1Q is the braking energy of each MR braking, and mb
and c are mass and equivalent specific heat of the MR brake
structure. The value of 1Tb determined from equation (16) for
most cases is around 10 ◦ C.
At steady state, the heat loss of the brake structure can be
approximately determined from Newton’s law of cooling as
follows:
Q̇(t) = hAb (TMR0 − Tenv ). (17)
In the above, Tenv is the temperature of the ambient
environment which is set to 30 ◦ C in this study; h is
4
Q H Nguyen and S B Choi
the heat transfer coefficient which depends on the relative
velocity of the ambient air. When the motorcycle is cruising
at 120 km h−1 , the heat transfer coefficient is around
75 W (m2 K−1 ). Ab is the area of the outer surfaces of the
MR brake structure and Q̇(t) is the rate of heat loss of the
brake structure.
In addition, at steady state, it is assumed that all the
energy dissipated by the friction is converted to thermal
energy and transferred to the ambient environment by
convection. Thus, the following relation can be obtained:
Vc
Q̇(t) = hAb (TMR0 − Tenv ) = Tb0 . (18)
Rw
It is noted that, in the above equation, the heat loss
due to conductive resistance of the brake body is neglected.
This assumption is reasonable because of the small thickness
and high conductivity of the brake housing. From equations
(15)–(18), the following constraint should be satisfied:
Tb0 Vc 1
TMR = Tenv + +
hAb Rw mb c
MVc2
 
× 0.45 ≤ Tmax = 130 ◦ C. (19)
2
Consequently, the optimal design problem of the MR brake
can be stated as follows: find optimal geometric dimensions
of the proposed MR brake that can produce a maximum
braking torque. The brake is constrained in a specific available
volume. Taking the XV535-110 Virago motorcycle (Yamaha)
as a sample of middle-sized motorcycles, the available space
for the rear brake is a cylindrical volume: R = 110 mm,
L = 110 mm. Furthermore, the temperature of the MR fluid
considering the zero-field friction during cruising at a speed
of 120 km h−1 and a braking process satisfies equation (19).
In order to obtain the optimal solution, in this study, a
finite element analysis integrated with an optimization tool
is used. This study uses the first-order method with a golden
section algorithm of the ANSYS optimization tool to solve
the optimization problem. The detailed procedure to obtain
the optimal solution of MRF devices is mentioned in several
research [14, 15].
4. Results and discussions
In this study, optimal solution of the proposed MR brake
field-dependent yield stresses. It is assumed that the brake
rotor and stator are made of commercial silicon steel, the coil
wires are sized as 21-gauge (diameter = 0.511 mm) whose
allowable working current is 3 A and the shaft hub is made
of nonmagnetic stainless steel. It is noted that the rheological
properties of the MR fluid depends on the applied magnetic
field and can be estimated by the following equation [16]:
Y = Y∞ + (Y0 − Y∞ )(2e−BαSY − e−2BαSY ) (20)
where Y stands for a rheological parameter of the MR fluid
such as yield stress and the post-yield stress viscosity. The
Smart Mater. Struct. 21 (2012) 055003 Q H Nguyen and S B Choi

Table 1. Rheological properties of MR fluids.

Magnetic
MR fluid Rheological properties saturation
MRF-122-2ED K0 = 0.15 pa sn ; K∞ = 3200 pa sn ; αsk = 5T −1 1.5 T
τy0 = 6 pa; τy∞ = 16 000 pa; αsty = 2T −1
n0 = 0.917; n∞ = 0.25; αsn = 30
MRF-132DG K0 = 0.22 pa sn ; K∞ = 3900 pa sn ; αsk = 5T −1 1.65 T
τy0 = 10 pa; τy∞ = 30 000 pa; αsty = 2T −1
n0 = 0.917; n∞ = 0.25; αsn = 32
MRF-140CG K0 = 0.65 pa sn ; K∞ = 5400 pa sn ; αsk = 5T −1 1.75 T
τy0 = 25 pa; τy∞ = 39 000 pa; αsty = 2T −1
n0 = 0.915; n∞ = 0.24; αsn = 32

Figure 2. Finite element models to analyze magnetic circuit of the Figure 3. Finite element models to analyze magnetic circuit of the
proposed MR brake. drum-type MR brake.

value of Y tends from the zero applied field value Y0 to
the saturation value Y∞ . αSY is the saturation moment index
of the Y parameter. B is the applied magnetic density. In
this study, three typical types of commercial MR fluids is
considered; MRF-122-2ED (low yield stress), MRF-132-DG
(medium yield stress) and MRF-140-CG (high yield stress).
In this study, a MR fluid cylindrical viscometer designed and
manufactured by SSS Lab (Smart Structures and Systems
Laboratory, Inha University) was used and a curve fitting
using the least-squares method was applied to determine the
rheological parameters of the three types of MR fluid. The
results are shown in table 1. In this work, in order to predict
the rheological properties of the MR fluid using equation (20),
the magnetic density B across the MR gaps is calculated by
FEA. The magnetic finite element model of the proposed
brake using a 2D axisymmetric coupled element (plane 13)
of the commercial ANSYS software is shown in figure 2. It
is noteworthy that the electrical parameter used in FEA is
the current density. This current density is determined during
the optimization of the allowable working current. In this
research, the allowable working current is 3 A and the applied
current density is 14.628 A mm−2 . During the optimization
process, the applied current density is kept constant.
In addition, in order to evaluate the advanced perfor-
mance of the proposed MR brake, optimal solution of the
drum-type MR brake constrained in the same volume is also
obtained and presented in this section. The finite element
model of the drum-type MR brake is presented in figure 3.
Figure 4 shows the optimal solution of the proposed MR
brake in the case of MRF-140-CG is used. In the optimization,
the coil width (wc ), coil height (hc ), gap size (d), T-flange
outer radius (Rof ), T-flange inner radius (Rif ), T-shaped drum
inner radius Ri , T-flange length (La ) and T-leg thickness (tl )
are considered as design variables. From the figure, it can
be found that, with a convergence tolerance of 0.5 N m,
the optimal process is converged after 19 iterations and the
solution at the 19th iteration is considered as the optimal one.
The optimal values of wc , hc , d, Rof , Rif ,Ri , La and tl are
respectively 15 mm, 7 mm, 1.81 mm, 98 mm, 80 mm, 24 mm,
68.5 mm and 8.9 mm. It is also observed from the figure that
the braking torque of the optimized brake is 494 N m which is
greater than the required one (430 N m) and the temperature
at a cruising speed of 120 km h−1 is lower than 130 ◦ C. Thus
the constraints of the optimization problem are satisfied. The
mass of the brake at the optimum is around 26.4 kg. The
number of coil-turns can be approximately estimated by the
quotient of the coil area and the area of coil wire which is 510
turns for each coil. Figure 5 shows the optimal solution of the
drum-type MR brake featuring MRF-140-CG. It is noted that
the thickness of the side housing of the drum-type MR brake is

5
Smart Mater. Struct. 21 (2012) 055003 Q H Nguyen and S B Choi

Figure 4. Optimization solution of the proposed MR brake featuring MRF-140-CG. (a) Design variables and (b) mass, braking torque and
temperature.

set at 4 mm considering the manufacturing benefits. The other Table 2. Braking torque optimal solution of the proposed MR
significant dimensions such as the coil width (wc ), coil height brake.
(hc ), annular gap size (d), radial gap size (do ), thickness of the Optimal value (mm)
outer housing (to ) and the inner radius (Ri ) are considered as Parameters 140CG 132DG 122-2ED
design variables. The results show that the maximum braking
Coil width wc 14.2 10.8 15
torque of the drum-type brake is around 303 N m which is
Coil height hc 6.15 5 7
much smaller than that of the proposed MR brake and far Gap size d 0.65 1.03 1.81
smaller than the required one (430 N m). T-flange outer radius Rof 98 100.6 98
Figure 6 shows the optimal solution of the MR brake T-flange inner radius Rif 80 82.2 79.7
in the case of MRF-132-DG is employed. The results show Drum inner radius Ri 10 10 24
T-flange length La 71.7 73.2 68.5
that the optimal solution is converged after 21 iterations.
T-leg thickness (tl ) 5 6 8.9
The optimal values of wc , hc , d, Rof , Rif , Ri , La and tl are Mass (kg) 26.5 28.4 28.7
respectively 10.8 mm, 5 mm, 1.03 mm, 100.6 mm, 82.2 mm, Braking torque Tb (N m) 494 524 389.8
10 mm, 73.2 mm and 6 mm. It is also observed from the figure Number of coil-turns (turns) 510 260 425
that the braking torque of the optimized brake is 524 N m
which is much greater than the required one (430 N m) and the
temperature at a cruising speed of 120 km h−1 is lower than also shown that, among the three MR fluids, MRF-122-2ED
130 ◦ C. Thus the constraints of the optimization problem are (low yield stress) is not suitable for the proposed MR fluid
satisfied. The mass of the brake at optimum is around 28.4 kg. because the maximum braking torque is smaller than that
The calculated number of coil-turns is 260 turns in this case. required. Furthermore, the small MR fluid gap size in the case
It is noted that the optimal thickness of the T-leg stationary of MRF-122-2ED causes many difficulties in manufacturing
drum (tl ) in this case is equal to its lower limit (5 mm) taking of the brake. Therefore, in this study only the medium yield
into account the stiffness of the drum. The optimal solution of stress MR fluid (MRF-132-DG) and high yield stress MR fluid
the corresponding drum-type MR brake is shown in figure 7. (MRF-140-CG) are considered. The summary of the above
Again, the results show that the maximum braking torque of optimal solutions are shown in table 2.
the drum-type brake is much smaller than that of the proposed Figure 10 shows the relation between the applied current
MR brake and far smaller than the required one. and the braking torque of the optimized MR brakes. The
Figures 8 and 9 respectively show optimal solutions of the approximated power consumption of the coil is also presented
proposed MR brake and the drum-type MR brake featuring in the figure. For the MR brake featuring MRF-140-CG,
MRF-122-2ED. It can be found from figure 8 that the optimal it is observed from figure 10(a) that, at small values of
values of design variables wc , hc , d, Rof , Rif , Ri , La and tl the applied current (0–2 A), the braking torque increases
are respectively 14.2 mm, 6.15 mm, 0.65 mm, 100.4 mm, significantly with the applied current. However, at high values
80.5 mm, 10 mm, 71.7 mm and 5 mm. It is also found that of the applied current (>2 A), the braking torque reaches
the braking torque of the optimized brake is 389.8 N m while saturation. The reason is that, in this research, the magnetic
the temperature at a cruising speed of 120 km h−1 is kept to property of the T-shape stationary drum and housing material
be lower than 130 ◦ C. It is noted that, in this case, the optimal (silicon steel) is described by a B–H curve that saturated at
thickness (tl ) and the inner radius (Ri ) of the T-leg are also around 1.5 T. Therefore, when the applied current is greater
equal to their lower limits. From figure 9 it is observed that than 2 A, the magnetic flux density inside the housing drum
the maximum braking torque of the drum-type brake is much reaches its saturation value. In order to reduce the applied
smaller than that of the proposed MR brake. In this case, power and unwanted heat generated by the coil windings,
neither of the brakes can provide a braking force greater than the applied current to the coil should be limited by 2 A in
the required one. this case. Similarly, it is observed from figure 10(b) that, for
The above results show the advanced performance of the MR brake featuring MRF132-DG, at small values of the
the proposed MR brake over the drum-type MR brake. It is applied current (0–1.6 A), the braking torque significantly

6
Smart Mater. Struct. 21 (2012) 055003 Q H Nguyen and S B Choi

Figure 5. Optimization solution of the drum-type MR brake featuring MRF-140-CG. (a) Design variables and (b) mass, braking torque and
temperature.

Figure 6. Optimization solution of the proposed MR brake featuring MRF-132-DG. (a) Design variables and (b) mass, braking torque and
temperature.

Figure 7. Optimization solution of the drum-type MR brake featuring MRF-132-DG. (a) Design variables and (b) mass, braking torque and
temperature.

Figure 8. Optimization solution of the proposed MR featuring MRF-122-2ED. (a) Design variables and (b) mass, braking torque and
temperature.

7
Smart Mater. Struct. 21 (2012) 055003
Figure 9. Optimization solution of the drum-type MR featuring MRF-122-2ED. (a) Design variables and (b) mass, braking torque and
temperature.
Figure 10. Braking torque and power consumption of the
optimized brake versus applied current. (a) MR brake using
MRF140-CG and (b) MR brake using MRF132-DG.
depends on the applied current. However, at high values of
the applied current (>1.6 A), the braking torque reaches
saturation. Therefore, in this case, the applied current to the
coil should be limited by 1.6 A. It is also shown in figure 10
that the power consumption in the case of the MR brake
featuring MRF-140-CG is much greater than those in the case
of the MR brake featuring MRF-132-DG.
It is noted that the maximum braking torque of the
optimized MR brake featuring MRF-140-CG and MRF-132-
DG is significantly greater than the required one but the mass
of MR brakes is significantly greater than that of CDBs. In
this section, an optimization that minimizes the mass of MR
brakes while the braking torque is constrained to be greater
8
Q H Nguyen and S B Choi
than the required one. The applied current is 2 A for the
MR brake featuring MRF-140-CG and 1.6 A for the MR
brake featuring MRF-132-DG. Figure 11 shows the mass
optimization of the MRF-140-CG brake. It is noteworthy
that the outer radius of the housing (R) is also considered
as a design variable in the optimization. The results show
that the mass of the brake is significantly reduced (from
26.4 to 18.6 kg) while the braking torque is kept to be greater
than 430 N m and the temperature at a cruising speed of
120 km h−1 is constrained to be lower than 130 ◦ C. The
number of coil-turns is around 450 turns. The magnetic flux
density distribution of the optimized MR brake is shown in
figure 11(b). Figure 12 shows the mass optimization of the
MRF-132-DG brake. The results show that the mass of the
brake is significantly reduced (from 28.5 to 17.65 kg) while
the braking torque is kept to be greater than 430 N m and the
temperature at a cruising speed of 120 km h−1 is constrained
to be lower than 130 ◦ C. In this case, the number of coil-turns
is around 275 turns. The magnetic flux density distribution
of the optimized MR brake is shown in figure 12(b). From
the above results, it is found that the mass of the optimized
MRF132-DG brake is a bit smaller than that of the optimized
MRF140-CG brake. It is also noted that the MR fluid gap
size of the optimized MRF132-DG brake is 1 mm and a
volume of 0.156 l of MR fluid is required to fill up this
gap. For the optimized MRF140-CG brake, the MR fluid gap
size is 1.81 mm and a higher volume MR fluid (0.254 l) is
required to fill up the gap. This results in a higher cost of
the MR brake. Obviously, with a gap size of 1.81 mm, the
MRF140-CG brake is somewhat easier to manufacture than
the MRF132-DG brake whose gap size is 1 mm. However, it
can be easier to manufacture the MRF132-DG brake with a
gap size of 1 mm without advanced technology. A summary
of the mass optimal solutions of the MR brakes is shown in
table 3.
Figure 13 shows the braking torque and power
consumption of the mass-optimized MR brakes as a function
of applied current. It is observed from figure 13(a) that, for
the MR brake featuring MRF-140-CG, the braking torque
increases significantly with the applied current. As the applied
current reaches 2 A, the brake can produce a braking torque
as high as the required one (430 N m). At the applied current
of 2 A, the power consumption of the coils is 100 W. For the
Smart Mater. Struct. 21 (2012) 055003 Q H Nguyen and S B Choi

Figure 11. Mass optimization of the proposed MR brake featuring

MRF140-CG optimization. (a) Mass, braking torque and
temperature. (b) Magnetic flux density of the optimized MR brake.

Figure 12. Mass optimization solution of the proposed MR brake

Table 3. Mass optimal solution of the proposed MR brake. featuring MRF132-DG. (a) Mass, braking torque and temperature.
Optimal value ( mm) (b) Magnetic flux density of the optimized MR brake.
Parameters 132DG 140CG
Coil width wc 11.2 15 5. Conclusions
Coil height hc 5.05 7.5
Gap size d 1.04 1.81
T-flange outer radius Rof 99.3 97.5 A novel type of T-shaped MR brake which can replace the
T-flange inner radius Rif 81.8 80.7 conventional drum rear brake of the middle-sized motorcycle
Drum inner radius Ri 20 34.2 was proposed in this work and optimally designed using
T-flange length La 73.1 68.4 three different smart MR fluids. In the first optimization
T-leg thickness (tl ) 5 9 problem, the braking torque was maximized while the steady
Housing chamfer: 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 47.8, 43, 30.6, 24,
9.3, 4.1 9.4, 4.5 temperature of the MR fluid caused by zero-field friction
Mass (kg) 18.6 17.65 torque and a repetitive braking process during cruising at
Braking torque Tb (N m) 430 430 a speed of 120 km h−1 was constrained to be smaller
Number of coil-turns (turns) 275 450 than the maximum allowable working temperature of MR
fluid (130 ◦ C). The brake was constrained in a cylindrical
volume of R = 110 mm and L = 110 mm determined from
MR brake featuring MRF132-DG, it is shown in figure 13(b) the available space of a conventional drum rear brake for
that a braking torque of 430 N m can be obtained when the middle-sized motorcycles. The required braking torque was
applied current is as equal as 1.6 A and power consumption determined based on an assumption of a braking deceleration
at this applied current is 30 W, which is much smaller than equal to 0.75g (g is the gravity acceleration), which is
that in the case of the MR brake with MRF140-CG. Another 430 N m in this study. The results showed that braking
advantage of the MRF132-DG brake over the MRF140-DG torque of the proposed MR brake is much greater than that
brake is that the relation between the braking torque and the of the drum-type MR brake. In addition, among the three
applied current is more linear. Thus its braking torque is easier commercial MR fluid: MRF-122-2ED (low yield stress),
to control. From the above results and discussions, it can MRF-132-DG (medium yield stress) and MRF-140CG (high
be concluded that the MRF132-DG is more suitable for the yield stress), MRF-122-2ED cannot meet the required braking
proposed MR brake and the optimized proposed MR brake torque while the braking torque produced by MRF-132-DG
featuring MRF132-DG can meet the requirements in order to and MRF-140CG brakes is significantly greater than the
replace a rear CDB of middle-sized motorcycles. required braking torque. In the second optimization problem,

9
Smart Mater. Struct. 21 (2012) 055003
Figure 13. Braking torque and power consumption versus applied
current of the MR brakes after the mass optimization.
(a) MRF140-CG brake. (b) MRF132-DG brake.
only the MR brake featuring MRF-132-DG and MRF-140CG
was considered. The objective was to minimize the MR
brake mass while the braking torque was constrained to be
greater than 430 N m and steady temperature of the MR
fluid was kept to be smaller than 130 ◦ C. The results showed
that the proposed MR brake featuring MRF-132-DG can
provide better performance than the others. The mass of the
optimized MR brake was 17.65 kg, which is a bit greater than
conventional drum brakes for middle-sized motorcycles. It is
finally remarked that three MR brakes designed in this work
will be manufactured and their braking performances such as
maximum torque will be experimentally evaluated in a second
phase of this research work.
Acknowledgments
This research was funded by the Vietnam National Foundation
for Science and Technology Development (NAFOSTED)
under grant no. 107.04.2011.07 and partially supported by the
10
Q H Nguyen and S B Choi
National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded
by the Korean government (MEST) (no. 2010-0015090).
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