Systems and methods for hand wheel torsional vibration attenuation

A vehicle, comprising:

• a steering system that includes a hand wheel and a steering shaft, the hand wheel having a hub and a rim disposed about the hub so as to form a perimeter of the hand wheel, the rim coupled to the hub via a spoke;
• a vibration attenuation system disposed within a housing coupled to the rim, the housing including at least a first chamber in communication with a second chamber, and the vibration attenuation system including:
• a magneto-rheological damping fluid disposed in the housing so as to flow between the first chamber and the second chamber;
• and
• a mass movable within the damping fluid and disposed in the second chamber,
• wherein the viscosity of the damping fluid is adjustable based upon an amount of torsional vibration experienced at the hand wheel.

A method of attenuating torsional vibration of a steering system, comprising:

• receiving accelerometer data associated with the steering system;
• based on the accelerometer data, determining an amount of torsional vibration experienced near a hand wheel of the steering system;
• and
• adjusting a viscosity of a damping fluid of a vibration attenuation system disposed within a housing coupled to a rim of the hand wheel based on the accelerometer data, the housing including at least a first chamber in communication with a second chamber and the vibration attenuation system including a mass, the damping fluid flowing between the first chamber and the second chamber and the mass disposed in the second chamber.