Abstract
The dynamic behavior of a damped vibration system containing thixotropic materials is experimentally investigated. Thixotropic materials are substance which liquefy when stirred or shaken and return to the hardened state upon standing. We constructed the test apparatus of a washing machine to evaluate the vibration behavior of it. Normally, the outer tub of a washing machine is suspended by the supporting bar with damping mechanism. We proposed the new damping mechanism with thixotropic material. The displacement and acceleration of the outer tub are measured when the inner tub with unbalance mass is rotated. The tests indicate that the damped system containing thixotropic materials show good vibration characteristic. As the consistency of thixotropic materials increases, the displacement and acceleration of the outer tub decrease.
