Progress Towards a Hydraulic Semiconductor for Vehicle Application

This paper contains a review of the development of a liquid semi-conductor and the reasons for it, especially with regard to the provision of electronically programmable hydraulic gear, as may be used in conjunction with vehicle ride and drive management systems. The progress towards this end is evidenced in terms of the characteristics of presently available Electro-Rheological or Winslow Effect fluids, along with an explanation of the methods of calculating their potential for automobile applications. Attention is drawn to some of the pitfalls that the designer will encounter in respect of the evaluation of fluid performance data and shortcomings of the presently available liquids.