High-Pressure Air Spring With External Damping for Compact Suspension
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current motor vehicle suspension systems using gas springs face limitations due to large diameter requirements, angulation difficulties, and the need for inert gases like nitrogen, which increase costs and complexity, especially in high-performance independent suspension systems.
Innovation Solution
A high-pressure air spring with an integrated external hydraulic damping mechanism, allowing the use of air as the spring medium and reducing the diameter of the spring, which overcomes the limitations of conventional gas springs and air bag springs by providing adjustable damping and reduced weight.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If air bag springs are used to support suspension loads, then the spring can contain air under pressure, but the diameter becomes large causing installation difficulties and increased wheel to spring force ratio
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the pressure parameter from low-pressure air (8-10 bar) to high-pressure gas (300-500 bar), which allows the spring to generate the same force with a much smaller diameter, resolving the contradiction between force support and diameter size
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from using compressed air in bellows to using high-pressure gas with a piston-cylinder arrangement, leveraging pneumatic principles to achieve higher pressures and smaller dimensions for the same load-bearing capability
2Area of moving object
If high-pressure gas springs are used to reduce diameter, then the spring diameter is greatly reduced, but pressures in excess of 300 bar require inert gas like nitrogen to avoid explosion risk
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the hydraulic damping mechanism from the gas spring system, allowing the use of air instead of inert gas since the explosive risk from oil-gas mixing is eliminated, thereby reducing system cost and complexity while maintaining small diameter
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses inexpensive air instead of expensive inert gas like nitrogen, accepting that air may need periodic replacement while significantly reducing system cost and complexity
3Force
If gas springs use polytropic compression, then the spring provides continuous pressure, but the spring retains positive force at full extension causing greater roll angles under lateral acceleration
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the gas spring into two separate chambers (first gas chamber and second gas chamber) with different functions: one for providing continuous pressure and another for allowing force reduction at full extension, thereby improving vehicle stability under lateral acceleration
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 solution enables a more compact, lightweight, and cost-effective suspension system with improved stability and resistance to damage, capable of handling high loads and extreme suspension travel without compromising performance.
Implementation Method 1
A further difficulty with gas springs, both high pressure nitrogen and low-pressure air bags, is that because of the polytropic nature of the compression curve the spring retains a positive force at full extension
Implementation Method 2
an integrated external hydraulic damping mechanism
Data Source
AI summary
A high-pressure gas spring for vehicle suspension systems includes an integral gas damping system and an integral counter spring to reduce spring residual force at suspension rebound. The gas spring includes an inverted piston feature that reduces the overall length of the device. Additionally, there are other innovative features incorporated in the gas spring to improve performance, reduce cost and minimise weight.