Modeling MR fluids is a challenging task that has been undertaken from different points of view and using different computational methods. In particular, the use of microscopic approaches is of outstanding interest today. Among the different microscopic approaches reported in the literature, DEM simulations have proved to be strong candidates to model MR fluids because they are able to gather the most basic features under static and flow conditions. DEM simulations are shown here to appropriately capture the aggregation kinetics of dilute MR fluids as well. On the other hand, FEM simulations are a complementary tool to accurately ascertain magnetostatic interparticle forces. Although this type of simulation is hard to implement in dynamic systems with a large number of particles due to its high computational cost, it is demonstrated here that it is still very useful in the precise determination of the yield stress in concentrated MR fluids.

Chapter Contents:

• 2.1 Background
• 2.1.1 Discrete element method
• 2.1.2 Finite element method
• 2.1.3 More complex approaches
• 2.2 Methodology: numerical methods
• 2.2.1 Discrete element method
• 2.2.2 Finite element method
• 2.3 Results and discussion
• 2.3.1 Discrete element method
• 2.3.2 Finite element method
• 2.4 Conclusions
• Acknowledgments
• References

Inspec keywords: magnetic fluids; magnetorheology; discrete element method; aggregation; non-Newtonian fluids; non-Newtonian flow; yield stress; finite element analysis

Other keywords: particle-level simulations; static conditions; FEM simulations; dynamic systems; dilute MR fluids; flow conditions; discrete element method; magnetorheology; DEM simulations; yield stress; magnetostatic interparticle forces; concentrated MR fluids; aggregation kinetics; finite element method

Subjects: Numerical approximation and analysis; Other numerical methods; Electrorheological and magnetorheological fluids; Finite element analysis; Magnetic materials; Deformation, plasticity and creep; Magnetic liquids; Intelligent materials (engineering materials science); Deformation and plasticity; Non-Newtonian dynamics; Intelligent materials