Damper Assembly with Segmented Housing and Adaptive Valves
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current damper assemblies in vehicle suspension systems face challenges in efficiently managing energy dissipation and maintaining optimal damping characteristics, particularly in passive and adaptive suspension systems, where damping and spring rate adjustments are limited, leading to suboptimal ride quality and handling.
Innovation Solution
The damper assembly incorporates a housing with a first chamber and passage configured to contain liquid, a piston for displacement, and restrictor valves to control liquid flow, reducing pressure and friction, and optionally includes electrorheological valves for adaptive damping, allowing for variable damping and spring rate control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If high static pressure level and tight rod seal are used in monotube dampers, then damping ability is improved, but friction against the moving rod increases
Solution Approach 1:
The damper is divided into two separate tubes: an inner tube containing the liquid and piston assembly, and an outer tube containing the gas charge. This segmentation allows the gas pressure to be optimized for damping performance without directly contacting the moving rod, thereby reducing friction while maintaining reliable damping ability.
Solution Approach 2:
The outer tube acts as an intermediary between the gas charge and the inner tube. The gas pressure is transmitted through the outer tube to the liquid in the inner tube, providing the necessary damping force without the gas directly contacting the moving rod and seal, thus reducing friction.
2Device complexity
If passive suspension system with predetermined damping characteristics is used, then system simplicity is maintained, but ride quality and handling become suboptimal
Solution Approach 1:
The damper incorporates electrorheological fluid and controllable valves that allow dynamic adjustment of damping characteristics in real-time. The system transitions from fixed, passive damping to active, variable damping, enabling optimization of ride quality and handling under different driving conditions while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The damping characteristics are made variable through the use of electrorheological fluid whose viscosity can be changed by applying an electric field. This allows the damping coefficient to be adjusted dynamically, improving ride quality and handling without requiring a completely complex active suspension system.
3Adaptability or versatility
If monotube damper with external accumulator is used for active control, then spring rate and preload can be varied, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The gas charge chamber and liquid-filled chamber are merged into a single twintube structure, eliminating the need for a separate external accumulator. This integration maintains the ability to vary spring rate and preload while reducing overall structural complexity and improving compactness.
Solution Approach 2:
The inner tube containing the liquid and piston assembly is nested within the outer tube containing the gas charge. This nested configuration allows both chambers to occupy the same space, reducing the overall size and complexity of the damper while maintaining active control capabilities for spring rate and preload adjustment.
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 enhances energy dissipation, reduces friction, and enables adaptive damping, improving ride quality and handling by allowing for independent control of damping and spring rate adjustments.
Implementation Method 1
A piston is disposed in the first chamber and is movable in a first direction and a second direction opposite the first direction. The piston is configured to displace the liquid during movement in the first and second directions.
Implementation Method 2
The first restrictor valve is configured to restrict a flow of the liquid into the first passage from the first chamber and the first inlet as the piston moves in one of the first and second directions which causes the liquid in the first chamber to increase a pressure applied to a first side of the piston
Implementation Method 3
The first restrictor valve is configured to restrict a flow of the liquid into the first passage from the first chamber and the first inlet as the piston moves in one of the first and second directions
Implementation Method 4
or optionally includes electrorheological valves for adaptive damping, allowing for variable damping and spring rate control
Data Source
AI summary
A damper assembly includes a housing. A method of forming a damper assembly includes extruding the housing formed of aluminum. The housing defines a first chamber and a first passage spaced from each other, with a first inlet fluidly connecting the first chamber and the first passage. A piston is disposed in the first chamber and is movable in a first direction and a second direction opposite the first direction. A first restrictor valve is disposed in the first passage. The first restrictor valve is configured to restrict a flow of liquid into the first passage from the first chamber and the first inlet as the piston moves in one of the first and second directions which causes the liquid in the first chamber to increase a pressure applied to a first side of the piston to dampen movement of the piston.