Active Suspension Gas-Charge Detection via Pressure Knee Point
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Solution Overview
Problem
The suspension system of vehicles experiences performance degradation due to the gradual leakage of gas from the gas chamber, leading to reduced capability to absorb kinetic energy from road impacts.
Innovation Solution
A method is described to determine the amount of gas in the gas chamber of a vehicle's suspension system by varying the pressure in the hydraulic fluid chamber and detecting the knee point, which indicates the end position of the movable separator. This information is used to estimate the gas amount and compare it to a predetermined threshold, ensuring proper operation of the spring.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the suspension system operates over time, then the spring absorbs kinetic energy from road impacts, but gas leaks from the gas chamber causing performance degradation
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary detection of gas amount before performance degradation becomes critical. By continuously monitoring the gas amount in the gas chamber and comparing it to threshold values, the system can identify when gas leakage has reached levels that affect spring performance, allowing for timely intervention or refilling.
Solution Approach 2:
The system establishes a feedback loop where the actual gas amount in the gas chamber is continuously measured and compared against threshold values. This feedback mechanism enables the system to detect gas leakage trends and determine when the spring performance is degraded, creating a closed-loop monitoring system that tracks substance loss over time.
2Reliability
If the gas amount in the gas chamber is monitored continuously, then performance degradation is detected early, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses the existing hydraulic fluid chamber and movable separator as integral parts of the monitoring mechanism. The knee point detection method leverages the natural operation of the suspension system itself, where the separator's movement during compression and extension provides the measurement signal, eliminating the need for separate complex measurement apparatus.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces direct mechanical measurement of gas amount with a pressure-based measurement approach. By monitoring pressure changes in the hydraulic fluid chamber and detecting the knee point, the system indirectly determines gas amount without requiring direct access to or complex instrumentation of the gas chamber itself.
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 method effectively monitors and maintains the appropriate gas level in the suspension system, preventing performance degradation and ensuring the spring can absorb road impacts effectively, thereby maintaining vehicle comfort and performance.
Implementation Method 1
The spring may use a compressible gas to absorb the impact from vibrations and road irregularities
Implementation Method 2
the spring's capability to absorb kinetic energy from the wheel can be determined
Implementation Method 3
a movable separator that defines a gas chamber for the gas and hydraulic fluid chamber for the hydraulic fluid
Data Source
AI summary
This disclosure describes techniques for determining a state of a pressurized chamber of a suspension of a vehicle, wherein the pressurized chamber comprises a hydraulic fluid chamber and a gas chamber separated by a piston. The state is determined by varying a pressure in the hydraulic fluid chamber and determining a knee point in a change of pressure in the hydraulic fluid chamber. The knee point indicates that the separator has been bottomed out. The pressure in the knee point may be used to determine a state of the suspension system.