Search Results (18)

The shock absorbers in the landing gear absorb and dissipate a significant amount of kinetic energy generated from impacts during the landing and taxiing phases to ensure the stability and safety of the aircraft. The nitrogen–oil binary system is a commonly used energy absorption medium in these shock absorbers. Nevertheless, the interplay of interfacial mass transfer dynamics, microscopic dissolution behavior, and pressure drop in the aviation hydraulic oil–N₂ system under landing conditions necessitates further elucidation. Thus, we investigated the interfacial mass transfer characteristics of the oil–gas mixing process using molecular dynamics (MD) for analyzing the dissolution mechanism of N₂ in the aviation hydraulic oil system. The results show that as system pressure and temperature increase, the degree of oil–gas mixing intensifies. Under conditions of 373 K, 35 MPa and 433 K, 20 MPa, the diffusion coefficient, interfacial thickness, and system energy reach their maximum values. An increase in system pressure facilitates the occurrence of oil–gas mixing until the interface disappears at the minimum miscibility pressure (MMP), with the obtained MMP value being 107 MPa. Finally, the solubility of N₂ molecules in aviation hydraulic oil under different conditions was statistically analyzed, which is identified as the root cause of the pressure drop in the shock absorber’s gas chamber. This study innovatively applies molecular dynamics simulations to unveil, for the first time, the dissolution mechanism of N₂ in aviation hydraulic oil at the molecular scale, overcoming experimental limitations in observing extreme pressure–temperature conditions. This research elucidates the behavior of aviation hydraulic oil and N₂ under different thermodynamic conditions, making it easier to capture the patterns of phenomena that are difficult to observe in extreme environments. The research findings not only enhance the microscopic understanding of oil–gas mixing within the shock absorber but also provide valuable guidance for optimizing energy dissipation efficiency, improving damping characteristics, and enhancing safety in aircraft landing gear systems. Full article

The development of chassis technologies has pushed significant focus towards electrification for enhanced vehicle efficiency, flexibility, safety, and performance. In this context, the suspension represents a key system, as it strongly influences both vehicle dynamics and comfort. The trend is to replace the usual hydraulic damper with mechatronic actuators. Rotary electromagnetic shock absorbers are among these solutions, featuring a rotary electric machine and a proper rotary-to-linear transmission stage. Far from being ideal force sources, these actuators may introduce inertial, compliance, and friction phenomena to the suspension. This paper proposes a generalized equivalent model to reproduce the mechanical behavior of electromagnetic shock absorbers. The formulation of this tool helps compare different shock absorber technologies in terms of their dynamic response. Furthermore, it can be used to synthesize control strategies that account for intrinsic limitations of chassis actuators. Full article

The paper presents the concept of equivalent parameter predictive control (EPPC) elaborated for semi-active fluid-based (hydraulic and pneumatic) shock absorbers equipped with controllable valves and subjected to impact excitation. The undertaken problem concerns the absorption and dissipation of the impact energy with the requirement to minimize the generated reaction force and corresponding impacting object deceleration. The development of a control strategy for a challenging problem with unknown impacting object mass and unknown changes of external and disturbance forces is proposed and discussed in detail. The innovative solution utilizes the paradigm of model predictive control supplemented by the novel concept of equivalent system parameters identification. The EPPC is based on the online measurement of system response, the computation of the equivalent mass of the impacting object, and the repetitive solution of the optimal control problem with various prediction intervals and constraints imposed on valve opening. The presented method is proven to operate robustly for unknown excitations, including double-impact conditions, and it has similar efficiency to control methods developed previously for known impact parameters. Full article

This review article deals with hydro-pneumatic accumulators (HPAs) charged with nitrogen. The focus is on HPA models used in the study of the energy efficiency of hydraulic systems. Hydraulic circuits with HPA are presented along with their various applications for delivering the required volume of fluid, maintaining the required pressure, ensuring safe operation, safety stop, leak compensation, fluid volume change compensation, pulsation damping, and pressure shock absorption. A general regenerative hydraulic system and a general hybrid hydraulic system are also presented. The review focuses primarily on HPA computational, dynamic, and simulation models. Basic HPA calculation parameters and computational models of energy storage and thermodynamic cycle are presented. Various computational and dynamic models of HPA have been defined, such as the thermodynamic model, simulation model, dynamic model, pulsation damper model, and shock pulse damper model. Research projects that have used HPA in industrial hydraulic systems are reviewed, such as those maintaining operating pressure in an industrial 80 MN open-die hydraulic forging press and acting as a shock pulse absorber in the lifting and levelling module of a tracked mobile robotic bricklaying system. The development of energy storage technology in HPA from various sources is now a global challenge. Full article

The paper presents issues related to the operation of hydraulic shock absorbers. The primary objective was to determine the influence of temperature and the technical condition on the damping properties of a twin-tube hydraulic shock absorber. Three units (one new and two used) of the same type of a shock absorber were used for testing. During the tests, the shock absorber was subjected to sinusoidal excitation at fixed values of frequency and displacement amplitudes. There are few low-temperature tests of shock absorbers available in the literature; thus, great emphasis was placed on this aspect of the study. The characteristics of the shock absorbers were determined from a temperature of −30 °C until a steady-state temperature was reached at a given excitation. The resistance force at this temperature is about 2.5 times higher than at 20 °C. The study shows that such high forces can lead to the failure of shock absorber components (especially the valves). The amount of energy dissipated in a single operating cycle of a shock absorber decreases non-linearly with the increase of the temperature. Understanding the temperature dependence of the shock absorber in combination with the cooling curve allows for the steady-state temperature to be estimated at a given excitation. The study also shows that the installation of used shock absorbers in vehicles is not acceptable. Although there are no external signs of wear, their characteristics can differ significantly from those of new shock absorbers. Full article

This research presents a finite element multi-physics design methodology that can be used to develop and optimise the inherent functions and geometry of an innovative regenerative eddy current (REC) damper for the suspension of B class vehicles. This methodology was inspired by a previous work which has been applied successfully for the development of an eddy current (EC) damper used for the same type of applications. It is based on a multifield finite element coupled model that can be used to fulfil the electromagnetic, thermal, and fluid dynamic field properties and boundary conditions of a REC damper, as well as its non-linear material properties and boundary conditions, while also analysing its damping performance. The proposed REC damper features a variable fail-safe damping force, while electric power is advantageously regenerated at high suspension frequencies. Its damping performance has been benchmarked against that of a regular hydraulic shock absorber (selected as a reference) by analysing the dynamic behaviour of both systems using a quarter car suspension model. The results are expressed in terms of damping force, harvested power, thermal field, comfort and handling, with reference to ISO-class roads. The optimisation analysis of the REC damper has suggested useful guidelines for the harmonisation of damping and regenerative power performances during service operation at different piston speeds. Full article

The flow field development through a simplified shock absorber orifice geometry is investigated using a single phase Large Eddy Simulation. Hydraulic oil is used as the working fluid with a constant inlet velocity and an open top boundary to allow the study to focus on the free shear layer and the flow development in the vicinity of the main orifice. The flow field is validated using standard mixing layer dynamics. The impact of the orifice shape is discussed with regards to the initial free shear layer growth, boundary layer development and the potential appearance of cavitation bubbles. Observations are made regarding the presence of flow field disturbances upstream of and through the orifice, thereby, leading to a notable turbulence intensity level in those regions. Full article

Dampers provide safety by controlling unwanted motion that is caused due to the conversion of mechanical work into another form of energy (e.g., heat). State-of-the-art materials are elastomers and include thermoplastic elastomers. For the polymer-appropriate replacement of multi-component shock absorbers comprising mounts, rods, hydraulic fluids, pneumatic devices, or electro-magnetic devices, among others, in-depth insights into the mechanical characteristics of damper materials are required. The ultimate objective is to reduce complexity by utilizing inherent material damping rather than structural (multi-component) damping properties. The objective of this work was to compare the damping behavior of different elastomeric materials including thermoplastic poly(urethane) (TPU) and silicone rubber blends (mixtures of different poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS)). Therefore, the materials were hyper- and viscoelastic characterized, a finite element calculation of a ball drop test was performed, and for validation, the rebound resilience was measured experimentally. The results revealed that the material parameter determination methodology is reliable, and the data that were applied for simulation led to realistic predictions. Interestingly, the rebound resilience of the mixture of soft and hard PDMS (50:50) wt% was the highest, and the lowest values were measured for TPU. Full article

A novel suspension system, the hydraulic integrated interconnected regenerative suspension (HIIRS), has been proposed recently. This paper demonstrates the vibration and energy harvesting characteristics of the HIIRS. The HIIRS model is established as a set of coupled, frequency-dependent equations with the hydraulic impedance method. The mechanical–fluid boundary condition in the double-acting cylinders is modelled as an external force on the mechanical system and a moving boundary on the fluid system. By integrating the HIIRS into a half car model, its free and forced vibration analyses are conducted and compared with an equivalent traditional off-road vehicle. Results show that the natural frequency and the damping ratio of the HIIRS-equipped vehicle are within a proper range of a normal off-road vehicle. The root mean square values of the bounce and roll acceleration of the HIIRS system are, respectively, 64.62 and 11.21% lower than that of a traditional suspension. The average energy harvesting power are 186.93, 417.40 and 655.90 W at the speeds of 36, 72 and 108 km/h for an off-road vehicle on a Class-C road. The results indicate that the HIIRS system can significantly enhance the vehicle dynamics and harvest the vibration energy simultaneously. Full article

Railway vehicles are generally operated by connecting several vehicles in a row. Mechanisms connecting railway vehicles must also absorb front and rear shock loads that occur during a train’s operation. To minimize damage, rail car couplers are equipped with a buffer system that absorbs the impact of energy. It is difficult to perform a crash test and evaluate performance by applying a buffer to an actual railway vehicle. In this study, a simulation technique using a mathematical buffer model was introduced to overcome these difficulties. For this, a model of each element of the buffer was built based on the experimental data for each element of the coupling buffer system and a collision simulation program was developed. The buffering characteristics of a 10-car train colliding at 25 km/h were analyzed using a developed simulator. The results of the heavy collision simulation showed that the rubber buffer was directly connected to the hydraulic shock absorber in a solid contact state, and displacement of the hydraulic buffer hardly occurred despite the increase in reaction force due to the high impact speed. Since the impact force is concentrated on the vehicle to which the collision is applied, it may be appropriate to apply a deformation tube with different characteristics depending on the vehicle location. Full article

Hydraulic torque converter is widely used in transmission units as it is able to provide variable speed and torque ratio, isolate vibration, and absorb shock. The pursuit of a highly packed power unit requires a high capacity/speed torque converter, consequently resulting in a higher risk for cavitation and severe performance degradation, noise, vibration, and even failure. Existing cavitation models generally focus on water, and the empirical parameters are not suitable for the cavitation prediction of torque converter which utilizes high viscosity oil as its working medium. This paper focused on the influence of parameters on the performance and cavitation characteristics of torque converter. A full flow passage geometry and different computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models with cavitation were developed to predict torque converter fluid behavior by resolving Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes equations using finite volume method (FVM). The numerical results indicated that nuclei volume fraction, vaporization coefficient, mean nucleation site radius, and maximum density ratio have great influences on the cavitation behavior. These parameters altered the degree of cavitation and the pressure distribution on the surface of stator blades, and affected the stall performance such as stall capacity factor and torque ratio. The cavitation model was then modified to improve calculation accuracy. The test results showed that the prediction error under stall operating condition was decreased from 6.7% to 2%. This study provides insight on the influences of the empirical parameters on both internal cavitation behavior as well as overall hydrodynamic performance. Full article

The aim of this paper is to investigate the limits of the quasi-static, no-slip approach when modeling the activation of magnetorheological (MR) devices. A quasi-static model is implemented to define the hydraulic and magnetic characteristics of an MR damper prototype. Then, an FE (Finite Element) magnetic simulation activity is carried out to validate theoretical findings, and an optimization procedure is carried out to adjust nominal geometry to actual application. Furthermore, a prototype is realized re-using the maximum number of components that constitute the existing conventional shock absorber. Finally, experimental tests at bench stands are performed. The predictable results demonstrate that neglecting the transient slipping effects, the Force–Velocity performance of the device is correlated with the model findings only for low current intensities acting in the magnetic circuit. Full article

Landing gear system of an aircraft enables it to take off and land with safety and comfort. Because of the horizontal and vertical velocity of aircraft, upon landing, the complete aircraft undergoes different forcing functions in the form of the impact force that is absorbed by landing gears, shock absorbers, and actuators. In this research, a selection methodology has been proposed for an electrical actuator to be installed in the retraction mechanism of nose landing gear of an aircraft having 1600 kg gross takeoff weight. Nose landing gear and its associated components, like strut and shock absorbers, were modeled in CAD software. Analytical expressions were then developed in order to calculate the actuator stroke, translational velocity, force, and power for complete cycle of retraction, and some were subsequently compared with the computational results that were obtained using MSC ADAMS${}^{\circledR }$. Air in the oleo-pneumatic shock absorber of nose landing gear was modeled as a nonlinear spring with equivalent spring constant, whereas hydraulic oil was modeled as a nonlinear damper with equivalent damping constant. The nose landing gear system was modeled as a mass-spring-damper system for which a solution for sinusoidal forcing functions is proposed. Finally, an electrical actuator has been selected, which can retract and extend nose landing gear, meeting all of the constraints of aircraft, like fuselage space, aircraft ground clearance, locking loads, power consumption, retraction and extension time, and dynamic response of aircraft. It was found that the selection of an electrical actuator is based upon the quantification of forces transmitted to electrical actuator during one point load at gross takeoff weight. The ability of retraction and extension time, as dictated by Federal Aviation Regulation, has also been given due consideration in the proposed methodology as significant criteria. The proposed system is now in the process of ground testing, followed by flight testing in the near future. Full article

This paper proposes an energy-saving system based on a prefill system and a buffer system to improve the energy efficiency and the processing performance of hydraulic presses. Saving energy by integrating such systems into the cooling system of a hydraulic press has not been previously reported. A prefill system, powered by the power unit of the cooling system, is used to supply power simultaneously with the traditional power unit during the pressurization stage, thus reducing the usage of pumps and installed power of the hydraulic press. In contrast to the traditional prefill system, the proposed energy-saving system is controlled by a servo valve to adjust flow according to the load profile. In addition, a buffer system is employed to the cooling system to absorb the hydraulic shock generated at the unloading stage, store those shares of hydraulic energy as a recovery accumulator, and then release this energy to power the prefill system and the hydraulic actuator in the subsequent productive process. Finally, through a series of comparative experiments, it was preliminarily validated that the proposed system could reduce the installed power and pressure shock by up to 22.85% and 41%, respectively, increase energy efficiency by up to 26.71%, and provide the same processing characteristics and properties as the traditional hydraulic press. Full article

A controlled suspension usually consists of a high-level and a low-level controller. The purpose the high-level controller is to analyze external data on vehicle conditions and make decisions on the required value of the force on the shock absorber rod, while the purpose of the low-level controller is to ensure the implementation of the desired force value by controlling the actuators. Many works have focused on the design of high-level controllers of active suspensions, in which it is considered that the shock absorber can instantly and absolutely accurately implement a given control input. However, active shock absorbers are complex systems that have hysteresis. In addition, electro-pneumatic and hydraulic elements are often used in the design, which have a long response time and often low accuracy. The application of methods of control theory in such systems is often difficult due to the complexity of constructing their mathematical models. In this article, the authors propose an effective low-level controller for an active shock absorber based on a time-delay neural network. Neural networks in this case show good learning ability. The low-level controller is implemented in a simplified suspension model and the simulation results are presented for a number of typical cases. Full article