Active Air Spring Mass Damper for Transient Suspension Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional passive suspension systems in motor vehicles fail to effectively dampen transient movements between the sprung and unsprung masses, leading to inefficient ride quality and handling.
Innovation Solution
An active suspension control system with an active mass damper mounted to the unsprung mass, featuring a damper mass between fluid springs and an actuator responsive to control signals to counteract road-induced movements, utilizing sensors and a control circuit to manage the damper's movement and reduce unsprung mass movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional passive suspension systems are used, then the system structure is simple, but the system fails to effectively dampen transient movements between sprung and unsprung masses
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the passive suspension system into an active system by introducing a controllable actuator that dynamically adjusts the damping force between sprung and unsprung masses. The actuator receives control signals based on sensor feedback and actively modulates the damper characteristics in real-time, enabling effective dampening of transient movements that passive systems cannot achieve.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a closed-loop control system where sensors detect the relative movement and acceleration between sprung and unsprung masses, and this information is fed back to a controller that adjusts the actuator accordingly. This feedback mechanism enables the system to respond adaptively to varying road conditions and maintain optimal damping performance.
2Reliability
If active mass damper with actuator is added to unsprung mass, then transient movement dampening is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the suspension system into distinct functional segments: the active mass damper mounted on the unsprung mass, the actuator integrated within the damper assembly, the sensors positioned at strategic locations, and the control unit. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently and simplifies the overall system architecture by clearly defining the role of each element.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the actuator with the mass damper into an integrated assembly, where the actuator is positioned to directly influence the damper's operation. This merging reduces the number of separate components and simplifies the control architecture by consolidating the active damping function into a single unified device mounted on the unsprung mass.
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
The system effectively cancels or reduces sprung mass movement, enhancing ride comfort and handling by actively damping transient movements, thereby improving vehicle performance.
Implementation Method 1
a damper mass disposed between a pair of fluid springs, and an actuator responsive to a drive signal to cause the damper mass to move against a bias of at least one of the fluid springs
Data Source
AI summary
A fluid spring mass damper for a motor vehicle may include a housing to be mounted to the vehicle and defining a cavity therein with opposed ends sealing the cavity, a damper mass received within and movable along the cavity, a first compressible fluid disposed within the cavity between the mass and one of the opposed ends of the housing to form a first fluid spring, and a second compressible fluid disposed within the cavity between the mass and the other of the opposed ends of the housing to form a second fluid spring, and an actuator configured to be responsive to a drive signal to cause the damper mass to move within the cavity against a bias of at least one of the first and second fluid springs so as to cancel or reduce dynamic movement of at least one component of the motor vehicle.