Electrorheological clutch
Encyclopedia : E : EL : ELE : Electrorheological clutch
A clutch is a mechanism for transmitting rotation, which can be both engaged and disengaged.
An electrorheological clutch comprises drive and driven members that can be selectively engaged by the application of a voltage to an electrorheological (ER) fluid. ER fluid is used as the coupling between the input and the output (drive and driven members).
An ER fluid generally comprises a large number of very small particles suspended in an electrically insulating liquid. ER fluids have the property that the viscosity of the fluid can be controlled by the application of an electrical field. In particular, upon the application of a fairly large electrical field (say>1 kV/mm) the viscosity can increase to the extent that the fluid becomes almost solid, i.e. possessing a finite shear modulus and being capable of transmitting shear stress. This change is often very rapid (eg 0.01 s) and is reversible, i.e. the ER fluid will return to a fluid state upon removal of the applied electrical field.
See also
- Clutch
- Electromagnetic clutch
External links
- [HowStuffWorks] has a detailed explanation of the working of a clutch.
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