Regenerative shock absorber

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A regenerative shock absorber is a type of shock absorber that converts parasitic intermittent
linear motion and vibration into useful energy, such as electricity. Conventional shock absorbers
simply dissipate this energy as heat.

When used in an electric vehicle or hybrid electric vehicle the electricity generated by the shock
absorber can be diverted to its powertrain to increase battery life. In non-electric vehicles the
electricity can be used to power accessories such as air conditioning. Several different systems
have been developed recently, though they are still in stages of development and not installed on
production vehicles.

Contents
[hide]

• 1 Electromagnetic
• 2 Hydraulic
• 3 See also
• 4 References

• 5 External links

[edit] Electromagnetic
A patent for such a device was filed in 2005[1]. This type of system uses a linear motor/generator
consisting of a stack of permanent magnets and coils to generate electricity. This system was
further developed at Tufts University has been licensed to Electric Truck, LLC, and preliminary
data suggests 20% to 70% of the energy normally lost in the suspension can be recaptured with
this system.[2]

[edit] Hydraulic
A system developed at MIT uses hydraulic pistons to force fluid through a turbine coupled to a
generator. The system is controlled by active electronics which optimize damping, which the
inventors claim also results in a smoother ride compared to a conventional suspension. They
calculate that a large company like Wal-mart could save $13 million annually by converting their
trucks.[3]