Hydraulic Suspension Fill Grading Using Bidirectional Pressure Sensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional suspension systems for motor vehicles suffer from pitch and roll movements during cornering, braking, and acceleration, which decrease grip, cornering performance, and ride comfort, and mechanical stabilizer bars have packaging constraints and are reactive, making them less suitable for many applications.
Innovation Solution
A hydraulic suspension system with a bi-directional pump and pressure control module that dynamically adjusts fluid pressure in the suspension system to minimize pitch and roll, using comfort valves to decouple dampers for improved ride comfort and reduce unwanted suspension movements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If mechanical stabilizer bars are used to counteract roll and pitch moments, then vehicle stability and cornering performance are improved, but packaging constraints are imposed due to the requirement of a straight, unobstructed path across the vehicle between dampers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical stabilizer bars with a hydraulic suspension system that uses hydraulic fluid pressure to counteract roll and pitch moments. The hydraulic system connects dampers through fluid passages, eliminating the need for mechanical linkages and providing packaging flexibility while maintaining vehicle stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a hydraulic system where dampers are connected through hydraulic fluid passages. The hydraulic fluid transmits forces between dampers to counteract roll and pitch moments, replacing mechanical stabilizer bars with a fluid-based system that offers packaging advantages.
2Stability of the object's composition
If mechanical stabilizer bars are used to counteract roll moments, then cornering performance is improved, but the system is reactive and cannot be easily switched off when roll stiffness is not needed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic hydraulic suspension system where the hydraulic connections between dampers can be selectively activated or deactivated. This allows the system to adapt to different driving conditions, providing roll stiffness when needed and disabling it when not required, unlike fixed mechanical stabilizer bars.
Solution Approach 2:
The hydraulic system replaces reactive mechanical stabilizer bars with an actively controllable system that can adjust its stiffness characteristics based on driving conditions, improving adaptability while maintaining cornering performance.
3Stability of the object's composition
If hydraulic connections are used to increase roll stiffness, then pitch and roll are minimized, but ride comfort deteriorates due to transmission of bump forces from one damper to another across the hydraulic circuit
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the hydraulic circuit into independent damper circuits with selective connectivity. Comfort valves are introduced to allow individual dampers to operate independently when needed, preventing the transmission of bump forces across the hydraulic circuit while maintaining pitch and roll control when required.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces comfort valves as intermediary elements in the hydraulic circuit. These valves act as mediators that can be opened to allow free fluid flow and isolate dampers from each other, preventing harmful force transmission while maintaining the ability to connect dampers for pitch and roll control when needed.
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 reduces pitch and roll movements while maintaining ride comfort by dynamically adjusting fluid pressure and decoupling dampers, offering packaging benefits and improved performance over traditional mechanical stabilizer bars.
Implementation Method 1
A hydraulic suspension system with a bi-directional pump and pressure control module that dynamically adjusts fluid pressure in the suspension system to minimize pitch and roll
Implementation Method 2
store a first pressure of hydraulic fluid within the suspension system measured using a pressure sensor
Data Source
AI summary
A system for grading filling of a suspension system includes: a pump control module configured to, during first and second periods, operate an electric pump of the suspension system in first and second directions and decreasing and increasing hydraulic fluid pressure within the suspension system, respectively; a monitoring module configured to: store a first pressure of hydraulic fluid within the suspension system measured using a pressure sensor when the first pressure is less than or equal a first predetermined pressure while the pump is operated in the first direction; and store a second pressure measured using the pressure sensor when the second pressure is greater than or equal a second predetermined pressure while the pump is operated in the second direction; and a grade module configured to determine a grade value for the filling of the suspension system based on the first and second pressures.