Air Suspension Height Timing for Obstacle-Based Ride Comfort
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Solution Overview
Problem
Air suspension systems in vehicles control vehicle height based on air pressure, leading to inconsistent timing that can deteriorate ride comfort by either controlling height too quickly or too late in response to road obstacles.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle height control apparatus and method that acquires pressure data from an air tank and obstacle data, calculates a target vehicle height, sets a required time to reach that height based on air pressure, and determines optimal control timing by comparing the required time with the time to reach an obstacle, ensuring the vehicle height is adjusted just before encountering an obstacle to maintain ride comfort.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If air suspension controls vehicle height based on air pressure, then the system can adjust height using available compressed air, but the control timing becomes inconsistent and deteriorates ride comfort
Solution Approach 1:
The controller performs preliminary calculations of required distance and control timing based on current air pressure and vehicle speed before encountering the obstacle. By determining the optimal control timing in advance using predicted values, the system ensures consistent and reliable height adjustment timing, resolving the inconsistency problem while maintaining ride comfort.
2Reliability
If vehicle height is adjusted early to ensure reaching target height before obstacle, then ride comfort is maintained, but air resistance increases due to premature height change
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses the vehicle's own motion (vehicle speed) and existing conditions (air pressure) to calculate the optimal control timing. By leveraging these self-generated parameters, the controller determines the precise moment to adjust height, avoiding premature adjustment and reducing unnecessary air resistance while ensuring ride comfort is maintained.
3Loss of energy
If vehicle height control is delayed to reduce air resistance, then energy loss is reduced, but the vehicle height may not reach target height before obstacle affecting ride comfort
Solution Approach 1:
The controller continuously monitors air pressure and vehicle speed to calculate the required distance and optimal control timing. This feedback mechanism ensures that height adjustment occurs at the precise moment needed to reach target height before the obstacle, preventing both premature and delayed adjustment. The system dynamically adjusts timing based on real-time conditions, optimizing both energy efficiency and ride comfort.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle height control apparatus includes an information acquisition device that acquires pressure data on a pressure inside an air tank storing compressed air and obstacle data on an obstacle in front of a vehicle, and a controller that calculates a target vehicle height based on the obstacle data, calculates a required distance required to reach the target vehicle height based on the pressure of the compressed air inside the air tank, and determines a vehicle height control timing, resolving a problem that the vehicle height is unnecessarily quickly controlled compared to the position of the obstacle, or is controlled after the vehicle passes through the obstacle to reduce the ride comfort.