Design, Development and Testing of an Air Damper to Control the Resonant Response of a SDOF Quarter-Car Suspension System
Author(s)
R. G. Todkar
ABSTRACT
An air damper possesses the advantages that there are no long term changes in the damping properties, there is no dependence on working temperature and additionally, it has less manufacturing and maintenance costs. As such, an air damper has been designed and developed based on the Maxwell type model concept in the approach of Nishihara and Asami [1]. The cylinder-piston and air-tank type damper characteristics such as air damping ratio and air spring rate have been studied by changing the length and diameter of the capillary pipe between the air cylinder and the air tank, operating air pressure and the air tank volume. A SDOF quarter-car vehicle suspension system using the developed air enclosed cylinder-piston and air-tank type damper has been analyzed for its motion transmissibility characteristics. Optimal values of the air damping ratio at various values of air spring rate have been determined for minimum motion transmissibility of the sprung mass. An experimental setup has been developed for SDOF quarter-car suspension system model using the developed air enclosed cylinder-piston and air-tank type damper to determine the motion transmissibility characteristics of the sprung mass. An attendant air pressure control system has been designed to vary air damping in the developed air damper. The results of the theoretical analysis have been compared with the experimental analysis.
An air damper possesses the advantages that there are no long term changes in the damping properties, there is no dependence on working temperature and additionally, it has less manufacturing and maintenance costs. As such, an air damper has been designed and developed based on the Maxwell type model concept in the approach of Nishihara and Asami [1]. The cylinder-piston and air-tank type damper characteristics such as air damping ratio and air spring rate have been studied by changing the length and diameter of the capillary pipe between the air cylinder and the air tank, operating air pressure and the air tank volume. A SDOF quarter-car vehicle suspension system using the developed air enclosed cylinder-piston and air-tank type damper has been analyzed for its motion transmissibility characteristics. Optimal values of the air damping ratio at various values of air spring rate have been determined for minimum motion transmissibility of the sprung mass. An experimental setup has been developed for SDOF quarter-car suspension system model using the developed air enclosed cylinder-piston and air-tank type damper to determine the motion transmissibility characteristics of the sprung mass. An attendant air pressure control system has been designed to vary air damping in the developed air damper. The results of the theoretical analysis have been compared with the experimental analysis.
KEYWORDS
Ride Comfort, Quarter-Car Suspension Model, Cylinder-Piston and Air-Tank Type Air Damper, Motion Transmissibility, Optimal Air Damping Ratio
Ride Comfort, Quarter-Car Suspension Model, Cylinder-Piston and Air-Tank Type Air Damper, Motion Transmissibility, Optimal Air Damping Ratio
Cite this paper
nullR. Todkar, "Design, Development and Testing of an Air Damper to Control the Resonant Response of a SDOF Quarter-Car Suspension System," Modern Mechanical Engineering, Vol. 1 No. 2, 2011, pp. 84-92. doi: 10.4236/mme.2011.12011.
nullR. Todkar, "Design, Development and Testing of an Air Damper to Control the Resonant Response of a SDOF Quarter-Car Suspension System," Modern Mechanical Engineering, Vol. 1 No. 2, 2011, pp. 84-92. doi: 10.4236/mme.2011.12011.
References
[1] R.A. Williams, “Electronically Controlled Automotive Suspension Systems,” Computing and Control Engineering Journal, Vol. 5, No. 3, 1994, pp. 143-148. doi:10.1049/cce:19940310 [2] Toshihiko Asami and Nishihara, “Analytical and Experimental Evaluation of an Air Damped Dynamic Vi- bration Absorber: Design Optimizations of the Three-Ele- ment Type Model”, Transaction of the ASME, Vol. 121, 1999, pp. 334-342. [3] R. D. Cavanaugh, “Air Suspension Systems and Servo- Controlled Isolation Systems,” Hand Book of Shock and Vibration, 2nd Edition, McGraw-Hill, New York, 1961, pp. 33-1-33-26 [4] R. G. Todkar and S. G. Joshi, “Some Studies on Transmissibility Characteristics of a 2DOF Pneumatic Semi- Active Suspension System,” Proceedings of International Conference on Recent Trends in Mechanical Engineering, Ujjain, 4-6 October 2007. [5] P. Srinivasan, “Mechanical Vibration Analysis,” Tata Mc- Hill Publishing Co., New Delhi, 1990.
[1] R.A. Williams, “Electronically Controlled Automotive Suspension Systems,” Computing and Control Engineering Journal, Vol. 5, No. 3, 1994, pp. 143-148. doi:10.1049/cce:19940310 [2] Toshihiko Asami and Nishihara, “Analytical and Experimental Evaluation of an Air Damped Dynamic Vi- bration Absorber: Design Optimizations of the Three-Ele- ment Type Model”, Transaction of the ASME, Vol. 121, 1999, pp. 334-342. [3] R. D. Cavanaugh, “Air Suspension Systems and Servo- Controlled Isolation Systems,” Hand Book of Shock and Vibration, 2nd Edition, McGraw-Hill, New York, 1961, pp. 33-1-33-26 [4] R. G. Todkar and S. G. Joshi, “Some Studies on Transmissibility Characteristics of a 2DOF Pneumatic Semi- Active Suspension System,” Proceedings of International Conference on Recent Trends in Mechanical Engineering, Ujjain, 4-6 October 2007. [5] P. Srinivasan, “Mechanical Vibration Analysis,” Tata Mc- Hill Publishing Co., New Delhi, 1990.