ABSTRACT

Increased competition on the automotive market has forced companies to research alternative
strategies to be adopted in suspension systems. In order to improve handling and comfort
performance, newer and newer systems are being developed. With the improvement of living
standards, people have higher requirements for the handling stability and comfort of the vehicle.
The vehicle damping system plays an exceedingly important role, and the passive suspension is
limited in both brightness and resolution, so the Adaptive air suspension system was born. It is
more adaptive and perfect. With the rapid development of electronic technology, the reliability
and life of the vehicle with the microcomputer, various sensors, and actuator have been greatly
improved. In order to meet the people's demands for the comfort of automobiles, the major
automobile companies have developed an electronic control suspension system which improves
the comfort of the car. Equipped with this system, when the car is in a sharp turn, rapid
acceleration or emergency braking, we can feel the suspension is more rigid, and feel the
suspension is more flexible in regular driving. The Adaptive air suspension can also balance the
ground reaction force, and reduce the impact to the body. The system not only performs
optimum control automatically to meet vehicle travelling conditions, it also allows drivers to
select suspension characteristics from a total of four modes according to their own preferences.
The suspension status is displayed on the multidisplay CRT. Therefore, with the rapid
development of automobile electronic technology, various middle grade cars, large passenger
cars and off-road vehicles are equipped with Adaptive air suspension system .
1. INTRODUCTION

Today we are living in the world of science and technology. Today's technology is becoming
past and tomorrows is struggling for it's existence. Automobile engineering is also fastest
growing field. The automobile suspension provides ground for extensive research and
development. Conventional suspension systems such as leaf spring, coil spring suspension lack
prime requirement of variable spring rate for various load conditions thus giving less vehicle
controllability and passenger comfort. Consumer's satisfaction is a keyword in today's business.
So scientists and engineers have developed an air suspension system which provides more
comfort and better vehicle controllability. I have started this seminar with critical review of
conventional suspension systems, their drawbacks and alternative provided by air suspension. I
have described general arrangement of air suspension system and its components and their
functions. The second part deals with air-suspension system and is electronic control. Since
active suspension is an advanced part comprising of model prototype studies and extensive force
analysis on chassis and complex mathematics, I have avoided that Instead I have focused on
sensors used in electronic suspension and design parameters, to be controlled electronically. At
the end there is a distinct comparison between the conventional construction, I hope that air
suspension will be a common feature of future Indian vehicles.
Introduction of Suspension system

Suspension is the term given to the system of springs, shock absorbers and linkages that connects
a vehicle to its wheels. Suspension systems serve a dual purpose — contributing to the car's road
holding handling and braking for good active safety and driving pleasure, and keeping vehicle
occupants comfortable and reasonably well isolated from road noise, bumps, and vibrations, etc.
These goals are generally at odds, so the tuning of suspensions involves finding the right
compromise. It is important for the suspension to keep the road wheel in contact with the road
surface as much as possible, because all the forces acting on the vehicle do so through the
contact patches of the tires. The suspension also protects the vehicle itself and any cargo or
luggage from damage and wear. The design of front and rear suspension of a car may be
different.

A suspension system comprises springs, shock absorbers and linkages. This suspension
connects an automobile to its wheels. The suspension systems not only help in the proper
functioning of the car's handling and braking, but also keep vehicle occupants comfortable and
make your drive smooth and pleasant. It also protects the vehicle from wear and tear. To know
about the suspension system, one needs to know about the spring rate or suspension rate. Various
spring types are used for different vehicles. In case of heavier suspension loads, the spring rate is
higher and vice versa. Spring rate is measured as a ratio used to measure how resistant a spring is
to being compressed or expanded during the spring's deflection Besides spring rate, one needs to
take in account the wheel rate. Wheel rate is the effective spring rate when measured at the
wheel. It is generally equal to or considerably less than the spring rate.
Objectives of Suspension system:

1. A suspension system prevents road shocks from being transmitted to the vehicle, its inmates
and the automotive components.

2. It helps to protect and safeguard the inmates of the vehicles on subterranean and difficult road
terrains.

3. The suspension system plays a crucial role in vehicle handling, vehicle dynamics and adds to
the stability of the vehicle while it is running, pitching or rolling
Literature review
Problem statement and outcomes
Case study
.Glossary of Suspension Theory Terms

Camber

A measurement of wheel angle relative to vertical as viewed from the front or rear of the car. In a
double A-arm system, camber is dictated mainly by control arm geometry.

Positive Camber occurs when the top of the tire tips away from the chassis. Commonly, a system
in droop will have positive camber.

Negative Camber occurs when the top of the tire tips towards the chassis. Commonly, a system
in compression will have negative camber.

Toe

A measurement of wheel angle relative to the centerline of the car as viewed from top. Toe can
be measured by comparing the vehicle centerline to front of tire distance with the vehicle
centerline to rear of tire distance. In a double A-arm “steerable,” or front suspension system, this
is controlled by tie-rod length in conjunction with the steering system.

Toe In occurs when the front of the tires “pinch” into the centerline of the car.

Toe Out occurs when the front of the tires point away from the centerline of the car.

Caster

A measurement of angle relative to the vertical as viewed from the side, between the axis
defined by the upper and lower rod ends. Caster effects the amount of camber change during
steering, as well as steering effort. Positive Caster is achieved when the upper rod end is behind
the lower, Negative Caster is the inverse of this.

Bump Steer

The amount of toe angle gain or loss that occurs during compression and extension. While
driving over obstacles and during body roll the tires will “steer” without direct driver actuation.

Kingpin Inclination

Angle Measured in the front view, the angle between the vertical and an axis defined by the
upper and lower ball joints.
Ackerman Steering Geometry

Steering geometry parameter which allows wheels to turn on different radii about a single point.
The turn center is formed from the intersection of perpendicular axes from all wheels. The
Ackerman Angle is defined as the difference between the inside and outside wheel turn (toe)
angles. Ackerman Geometry will cause the inside wheel to turn tighter than the outside wheel.
This was originally invented for horse drawn carriages so the wheels would not scrub at low
speeds and disturb gravel driveways

Kingpin Inclination

Angle Measured in the front view, the angle between the vertical and an axis defined by the
upper and lower ball joints.

Scrub Radius

The distance formed between the contact patch centerline and the king-pin at the ground– in the
front view.

Spring Rate

A measure of the stiffness of a spring defined as the pounds force per inch of spring
displacement.

Wheel Rate

Is the effective spring rate of the suspension when force is applied at the wheel. This parameter
is calculated from the spring rate through geometry of the suspension out to the wheel.

Progressive Wheel Rate

The geometry of the suspension linking components, including the shock and springs, used to
create an increasing wheel rate (stiffness) during compression.

Wheel Rate

Is the effective spring rate of the suspension when force is applied at the wheel. This parameter
is calculated from the spring rate through geometry of the suspension out to the wheel.

Spring Rate

A measure of the stiffness of a spring defined as the pounds force per inch of spring
displacement.

Body Roll
 The tilt of the body relative to the suspension. This is encountered during turning where
centripetal force will cause the chassis to lean to the outside of the turn, causing the outside
suspension to compress and the inside to extend.

Roll Rate

A measurement of the chassis’s stiffness during roll. Defined as foot pounds per

Contact Patch

The contact patch is the area of contact between the ground and the tire. This parameter changes
with many factors including tire pressure and wheel loads.

Ride Height

The static default position of the suspension system. Also can be termed as the height at which
the car sits with driver weight with no external forces.

Jounce Travel

Compression movement of suspension. Also can be termed as the amount of available

suspension travel in compression from ride height.

Droop Travel

Extension travel of the suspension. Also can be termed as the amount of available suspension
travel in extension from ride height.
Types of suspension system
ADAPTIVE AIR SUSPENSION SYSTEM
FUTURE SCOPE
CONCLUSION
REFERENCES