Smart Fluids: Vibration Control and other Industrial Applications

The purpose of this paper is to highHght properties of smart fluids - magnetorheological (MR) fluids, electro-rheological (ER) fluids and ferro-fluids (FF). The field of magnetic fluids is a multi-disciplinary area: chemists study their synthesis and produce the ferro-fluids, Physicists study their physical properties and propose theories which explain them. Engineers study their applicability auid use them in technological products. Biologists and Physicians study their biomedical possibilities and use them in medicine and in the biological area. The properties of the magnetic fluids make them useful for many technological, biological and medical purposes. A brief discussion on their applications such as vibration control; reduction of vibrations in air conditioning compressors and other machines; earthquake shock absorbers; fast acting brakes, clutches and hydraulic valves; control of aerospace vehicles; detection of cancer and removal of tumors; sensors for analytical instrumentation; etc. is presented.