Air Spring Inflation Using Cooled Dry Air for Ride Height Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing spring systems face challenges in maintaining consistent air temperature and humidity levels, leading to inaccurate ride height control and potential water buildup in air springs, which can affect suspension performance and reliability.
Innovation Solution
An air suspension system integrated with an air conditioning unit that provides cooled and dried air to an air compressor, which then inflates the air spring, ensuring consistent air temperature and reduced humidity, and includes a linear actuator for active suspension control, while also incorporating noise reduction measures like suppressors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If air is drawn directly from the environment to inflate the air spring, then the air compressor can operate without additional processing, but the air temperature and humidity vary leading to inaccurate ride height control and water buildup
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the air conditioning unit with the air suspension system by integrating the evaporator outlet as the air compressor inlet. This merging allows the air to be cooled and dehumidified by the AC unit before being compressed and supplied to the air spring, thereby improving ride height control accuracy and preventing water buildup without requiring a completely separate air processing system.
Solution Approach 2:
The air conditioning unit serves dual functions: providing cooled air for passenger comfort and providing cooled, dehumidified air for the air suspension system. By making the AC unit multi-functional, the system achieves reliable ride height control and prevents water accumulation in the air spring without adding dedicated air processing equipment.
2Reliability
If cooled and dried air is provided to the air compressor through integration with an air conditioning unit, then humidity-related issues are mitigated, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the air conditioning unit and air suspension system into a single integrated system where the evaporator outlet of the AC unit directly connects to the air compressor inlet. This combination allows the system to use the same cooling and dehumidification infrastructure for both passenger comfort and suspension air supply, improving reliability without proportionally increasing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The air conditioning unit is designed to serve multiple functions: cooling the passenger compartment and providing dehumidified air to the air suspension system. This multi-functionality allows the system to achieve high reliability in suspension operation while avoiding the need for separate dedicated air processing equipment.
3Reliability
If the air compressor is positioned to receive air from the air conditioning unit, then humidity is reduced preventing water buildup, but noise transmission from the compressor increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a suppressor as an intermediary component between the air compressor and the air spring. This suppressor reduces noise transmission while allowing the compressed, dehumidified air to pass through to the air spring, thereby maintaining air spring performance while mitigating the harmful noise effect.
4Productivity
If condensation is allowed to drain from the air conditioning unit, then the system operates efficiently, but the port for air transmission may be blocked by water
Solution Approach 1:
The patent positions the air transmission port in a different spatial dimension (vertically above) relative to the drain opening. This dimensional arrangement allows condensation to drain freely through the drain opening while the air port remains elevated and unblocked, ensuring both efficient condensation removal and continuous air transmission.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration allows for precise control of ride height, reduces water buildup, mitigates humidity-related issues for electronic components, and enhances suspension performance by using cooled and dried air, while also minimizing noise from compressor operation.
Implementation Method 1
an evaporator disposed within the interior of the housing and configured to separate the interior into an entrance section and an exit section. The air is configured to flow into the entrance section from the entrance opening and across the evaporator from the entrance section to the exit section, with the evaporator configured to remove heat and humidity from the air
Implementation Method 2
The housing has a port in fluid communication with the exit section of the interior and the air compressor, with the air compressor configured to transmit at least a portion of the air from the exit section of the interior and inflate the air spring
Implementation Method 3
an air spring configured to pneumatically bias a sprung mass relative to an unsprung mass
Implementation Method 4
a suppressor disposed between, and in fluid communication with, the housing and the air compressor, and configured to reduce noise transmission into the housing generated from operation of the air compressor
Data Source
AI summary
A spring system includes a bladder, a pump in fluid communication with the bladder, and an air line coupled with the pump and configured to fluidly communicate with a thermal conditioning unit. The pump is configured to draw the air through the air line from the thermal conditioning unit and transmit the air to the bladder.