Experimental study of electrorheological fluids

The viscosity of an electrorheological (ER) fluid formed by suspending dielectric particles in dielectric liquids increases within a few milliseconds after an electric field is applied, and when the electric field is removed the viscosity goes back to the original value. Thus, ER fluids are appropriate for applications in which adjustable viscosity with a small response time is desired. The viscosity increases because when an electric field is applied the particles become polarized and interact with each other to form particle chains and columns that are aligned in the direction of the field. The aim of this work is to study the dependence of the electrorheological response on the properties and size distribution of the particles. We are also using a direct numerical simulation approach to model their electrorheological response.