6.1.12 Damping elements
Damping elements are suspension elements that are capable of damping its vibrations while the car is moving. Why should these vibrations be damped? The springing suspension element, whatever it may be, is designed to negate all shock loads that arise when the wheel collides with obstacles on the road. But whether it is a spring or air in an air bag, after compression or expansion of the springing element, it will immediately return to its original position. Squeeze any spring in your hands, and then release it - it will fly as far as the forces that have arisen during the release will allow it. Another example: take an ordinary medical syringe, draw in clean air, clamp the outlet and try to move the piston. It will move, but until a certain point (until you have enough strength to compress the air), after releasing the rod, the air will start expanding, returning the piston to its original position. The same happens in a car: when hitting an obstacle, the spring in the suspension will compress. But then, under the influence of elastic forces, it will start expanding. Since the car has a certain mass, the spring, while straightening, will be forced to overcome its inertia, which will be expressed by swaying with a gradual damping of oscillations.
Due to the constant multidirectional movements of the suspension, such swaying is unacceptable, because at a certain moment resonance may occur, which ultimately will simply destroy the suspension partially or completely. Another element was introduced into the suspension design - a shock absorber – in order to prevent such fluctuations.
The principle of the shock absorber operation is simple. Let's try to explain this using the example of the same syringe. But this time we will fill it with, for example, water. The rate of collection and discharge of liquid in this case is limited by the viscosity of the water and the throughput of the syringe opening.
In the suspension, a shock absorber was combined with a spring (or other springing element) and received an excellent "mechanism" in which one element does not allow swinging, and the second takes on all the loads.
Below we will describe the damping elements of the suspension using the example of a telescopic shock absorber.
Double-tube and single-tube gas-filled shock absorbers are the most common types of shock absorbers in passenger cars.
Note
Any shock absorber has two essential characteristics: rebound force and compression force.
Interesting
The compression force of the shock absorber is less than the rebound resistance. This is done so that when hitting an obstacle, the wheel moves up as easily and quickly as possible. And when driving through a pothole, it sinks into it as slowly as possible. The best driving comfort can be achieved in this way.
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