We already had a thread about this some months ago, it was called “legal mass damper” or something like that, because the same man, Fabiano Vandone wrote an article on Autosprint describing the same system and was then reported by Spanish press as sort of mass damper.
In that thread I also expressed my opinion about Vandone and his technical explanations, IMHO he has quite little credibility and nothing changed my opinion since then, actually the less I say about him the better...
Strangely (or maybe not…) after the article about the MR dampers I didn’t see further articles by him on Autosprint.
Anyway, that said, few weeks after we had that discussion I remembered one thing that possibly could relate with it.
Several months ago, talking about April more or less, I read an article on Sportautomoto describing the straight line tests that Ferrari does at Vairano (test track of the magazine Quattroruote, not distant from Milano and having a 2 km long straight line), and the rumour was that they use a particular car for that kind of tests, purposely equipped with a system, hydraulic IIRC, to regulate ride height. The purpose being to allow consecutive constant speed passages, each one with different ride height, without having to stop every time to modify it mechanically, hence allowing a conspicuous time saving. Basically the same concept used in windtunnels where the attitude of the model can be changed with electric motors operating on the support without need to modify it manually. The article also specified that it was a system used for that kind of testing only and would be illegal for the races.
It’s possible that Vandone heard that rumour too and, adding the fact that the new Ferrari 599 uses a MR damper technology, made up his own particular explanation in an attempt to make the big scoop. Until a more reliable source confirms that Ferrari does indeed use them honestly that’s my take of the situation.
RH1300S wrote:
Can anyone translate the Italian?
Basically it’s what Dave already said, anyway here the transcript and the translation:
La struttura interna dell’ammortizzatore rotante prevede un pacco di lamelle equidistanti fissate allo stelo con conformazione e foratura differente. Ai poli opposti una serie di magneti avvolgono l’intera struttura rotante che è immersa in un liquido reologico in condizioni normali la resistenza offerta dal fluido è bassa e quindi la libertà di movimento in rotazione è ampia ma in presenza di un campo elettrico sui magneti il liquido reagisce aumentando la viscosità, si riduce la corsa dell’ammortizzatore e cresce la rigidità ma senza perdere una buona progressione di funzionamento.
The internal structure of the rotating damper consists in a pack of discs equally spaced fixed to the shaft having various shape and holes. At the opposite sides a series of magnets are wrapped around the whole rotating structure that is submerged in a reological (not sure about correct spelling in English) fluid. In normal condition the resistance offered by the fluid is low hence freedom of movement is large, but in presence of an electrical field on the magnets the liquid reacts increasing the viscosity, possible rotation is reduced and rigidity is increased but without losing good progression during the operation.
