ABSTRACT

Many things affect vehicles in motion. Weight, weight distribution, speed, road conditions and wind
are some of the of the factors that affect how a car rolls down a highway. Under all these variables,
however, the vehicles suspension system must continue to provide steering stability with good handling
characteristics. And at the same time maximise passenger comfort.Steering stability and passenger
comfort are what we mean by a "good ride control".

For a good ride control, the suspension system including the shocks, struts and springs must all be in
good condition. Worn suspension components may reduce vehicle stability and passenger comfort.
They may also accelerate wear on other suspension system components, Including tyres. Wear at regular
intervals. If a car's tyres are wearing unevenly, or small areas of heavy wear at regular intervals around
the tyre (called "cupping")are evident, worn shock absorbers are probably the cause. Cupping is caused
by the tyre bouncing on and off the road as it rolls.

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 CHAPTER-1
INTRODUCTION TO AUTOMOBILE

An Automobile is a self–propelled vehicle which is used for the transportation of

passengers and goods upon the ground .A vehicle is a machine which is used for the
transportation of passengers and goods. A self propelled vehicle is that in which power
required for the propulsion is produced from within. Aeroplane , ship motor boat ,locomotive
,car bus ,truck, jeep ,tractor ,scooter ,motor cycle are the example of self propelled vehicles.
Motor vehicle is another name for the self propelled and used for the transportation purposes
upon the ground, so it differs from other types of self –propelled vehicles. Like aeroplane,
helicopter, rocket, ship, motor boat, locomotive.

Automobile engineering is a branch of engineering in which we study all about the

automobile and have practice to propel them. The words “Automotive Engineering” is also
used having the same meaning.

Mobile or motive means one which can move. Automobile or automotive means one which
itself can move. A railway wagon cannot move itself on the rails if it is not pushed or pulled
by external force. A trolley cannot move itself on the road if it is not pulled by external force.
The railway wagon is pulled on the rails by a locomotive. The trolley is pulled on the road by
an automobile which may be a jeep or tractor. In automobile engineering we study about the
self –propelled vehicles like car, bus, jeep, truck, tractor, scooter, motorcycle. Aeronautical
engineering deals with aeroplane, helicopter, rocket, etc., which fly in air. Marine engineering
deals with ship, motor, etc which sail in water.

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 CHAPTER-2

LITERATURE REVIEW

• Liu and Lin (2013) investigated feasibility of developing asuspension(regeneration) unit

consisting of tubular permanent magnet linear generator. Authors have designed an
electromagnetic device which can generate maximum powerof 12 W and 400 N damping
force, when fitted in a car shock absorber.
• Guptaet al.(2011) conclude that large magnetic field in the air gap of linear generator
ensuresefficient energy recovery. Authors have validated analytical model of the
prototypelinear generator consisting of rare earth permanent magnets. During
experimentation,the prototype could harvest maximum energy of 0.28- 0.0029 W for
excitationfrequency of 10Hz to 100Hz.
• Goldneret al., (2001) validated analytical model of alinear electromagnetic harvester
consisting of rare earth magnets. It has been concludedthat the device can convert 20-
70% of the vibration energy into useful electricity, whichis otherwise lost
in conventional fluid dampers.
• Oprea et al. (2012) explained analytical framework for using linear generator asa damper
in vehicle shock absorber. Finite element simulations are used to determinethe generator
dimensions for maximum flux density in the air gap. Authors haveobserved that damping
force is not exactly proportional to the excitation velocity andfew harmonics are present
in the force.

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 CHAPTER-3

TYPES OF AUTOMOBILES

3.1 CLASSIFICATION OF AUTOMOBILES

The automobiles are classified on the following basis:

1. PURPOSE

i. Passenger vehicles – car, jeep, bus.

ii. Goods vehicles – Truck

2. CAPACITY

i. Light motor vehicles – car, jeep, motor cycle, and scooter.

ii. Heavy motor vehicles – Bus, coach, tractor.

3. FUEL USED

i. Petrol vehicles – car, jeep, motor cycle, scooter.

ii. Diesel vehicles – Truck, bus, tractor, bulldozer.
iii. Electric cab – Battery truck, fork lift.
iv. Steam carriages – Steam road roller.

4. No. Of wheels

i. Two wheelers.

ii. Three wheelers.

iii. Four wheelers.

iv. Six wheelers.

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3.2 INTRODUCTION TO SHOCK ABSORBERS
Shock absorbers play an important role and often underestimated role in vehicle safety. They
optimise vehicle handling, while providing positive steering response and safe braking.

As the wheels hit the bumps in the road, energy is transferred into the springs of a car's
suspension. With the worn shock absorbers, this energy causes the spring to oscillate. These
oscillations cause the tyre to break their grip on the road, bouncing on and off the road for
some time after hitting the initial bump.

Tests have shown that if just one shock absorber is worn, a car may need 2 extra metres
to stop. This could be the difference between stopping safely and crashing.

When braking in an emergency, worn shock absorbers cause the front of the car to nose dive,
transferring the weight to the front of the car from the rear. This reduces the tyres grip on the
road, causing them to skid, increasing the braking distance.

At the same time, the front tyres may momentarily their grip on the road causing them to yaw
and swerve under brake conditions. Both situations greatly increase the possibility of the driver
losing control, particularly in wet conditions.

The function of a shock absorber is to dampen spring oscillations, maintaining the tyres'
contact with the road, irrespective of the road's surface. Shock absorbers literally convert
the energy of the suspension movement to heat, which is then dissipated into the air
through radiation.

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The fitting of damping devices to vehicle suspensions followed rapidly on the heels of the
arrival of the motor car itself. Since those early days the damper has passed through a century
of evolution, the basic stages of which may perhaps be considered as:

(1) dry friction (snubbers);

(2) blow-off hydraulics;

(3) progressive hydraulics;

(4) adjustables (manual alteration);

(5) slow adaptives (automatic alteration); (6) fast adaptives ('semi-active');

(7) electrofluidic, e.g. magnetorheological.

Development of the adaptive damper has occurred rapidly. Although there will continue to be
differences between commercial units, such systems are now effective and can be considered
to be mature products. Fully active suspension offers some performance advantages, but is not
very cost effective for passenger cars. Further developments can then be expected to be
restricted to rather slow detail refinement of design, control strategies and production costs.
Fast acting control, requiring extra sensors and controls, will continue to be more expensive,
so simple fixed dampers, adjustables and slow adaptive types will probably continue to
dominate the market numerically for the foreseeable future.

Leaf spring

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3.3 WORKING OF SHOCK ABSORBERS

Despite what many people think, conventional shock absorbers do not support vehicle weight.
Instead, the primary purpose of the shock absorber is to control spring and suspension
movement.

Shock absorbers are basically oil pumps. As shown in Fig, a piston is attached to the end of a
piston rod and works against hydraulic fluid in the pressure tube. As the suspension travels
through jounce and rebound, the hydraulic fluid is forced through tiny holes - orifices - inside
the piston. However, the orifices let only a small amount of fluid through the piston. This slows
down the piston, which in turn slows down spring and suspension movement.

The amount of resistance a shock absorber develops depends on the speed of the suspension
and the number and size of the orifices in the piston. Shock absorbers are velocity sensitive
hydraulic damping devices, meaning the faster the suspension moves, the more resistance the
shock absorbers provide. Because of this feature, shock absorbers adjust to road conditions.
As a result, shock this feature, shock absorbers adjust to road conditions.

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As a result, shock absorbers reduce:

• Bounce
• Roll or sway
• Brake dive
• Acceleration squat

Shock absorbers work on the principal of fluid displacement on both the compression and
extension cycle. A typical car or light truck will have more resistance during its extension cycle
than its compression cycle. This is because the extension cycle controls the motions of the
vehicle sprung weight. The compression cycle controls the motions of the lighter unsprung
weight.

COMPRESSION CYCLE

During the compression stroke or downward movement, some fluid flows through the piston
from Chamber B to Chamber A, and some through the compression valve into the reservoir,
Chamber C. To control the flow, there are three valving stages in the piston and in the
compression valves.

Compression and Extension of Shock Absorber

At the piston, oil flows through the oil ports, and at slow piston speeds, the first stage opens.
This allows fluid to flow from Chamber to Chamber.

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At faster piston speeds, the increase in fluid pressure below the piston in Chamber B causes
the second stage piston valve to open. At high speed, the limits of the second stage phase into
the third stage orifice restrictions.

At the bottom of Chamber B, of that is displaced by the piston rod is passed through the three-
stage compression valve into Chamber C.

At slow speeds, the oil flows through an orifice in the compression valve. As the piston speed
increases, the fluid pressure increases, causing the disc to open up away from the valve seat.
Again. at high speeds the orifice restriction becomes effective.

Compression control, then, is the force that results from the higher pressure present in Chamber
B, which acts on the bottom of the piston and the piston rod area.

EXTENSION CYCLE

As the piston and rod move upward toward the top of the pressure tube, the volume of Chamber
A is reduced, and thus is at a higher pressure than Chamber B.

Because of this higher pressure, fluid flows down through the piston's three-stage extension
valve into Chamber.

However, the piston rod volume has been withdrawn from Chamber B, greatly increasing its
volume. Thus, the volume of fluid from Chamber A is insufficient to fill Chamber. The
pressure in Chamber C is now greater than that in Chamber B, forcing the compression take
valve to unseat. Fluid then flows from Chamber C into Chamber B, keeping the pressure tube
full.

Extension control, then, is the force present as a result of the higher pressure in Chamber A,
acting on the top side of the piston area.

3.4 TYPS OF SHOCK ABSORBERS

Strut type shock absorbers:

While their primary function is identical to conventional telescopic shocks, struts are used as
a suspension unit and are more ruggedly built to cope with higher suspension loads and lateral
(sideways) forces. They eliminate the need for several suspension components like upper
control arms, ball joints and more elaborate cross members. This saves weight and valuable

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engine compartment and luggage space. While struts are used almost exclusively for the front
and rear suspension of small and medium-size cars, the trend is for larger vehicles to also be
built with struts.

MacPherson strut cartridges and sealed struts:

Struts are presently manufactured in two types, sealed and repairable units. The shock absorber
of are pairable MacPherson strut is replaced by fitting a factory sealed MacPherson strut
cartridge to the original strut housing. The cartridge is held securely in position with a lock
ring screwed into the top of the strut housing.

Sealed or non-repairable struts, as the name suggests, are sealed during manufacture
and are sold as a complete unit. Otherwise the design is similar to the repairable struts. The
current trend in strut suspension is that vehicle manufacturers are swinging away from
repairable struts to sealed struts. Initially restricted to small and medium size vehicles, even
large vehicles are now beginning to use struts.

Spring seat shocks are also becoming very common. Examples of the spring seat design can
be found on the front suspension of BA Ford Falcons and the rear suspension fitted to
Mitsubishi Magna sedans.

Spring seat shocks:

This type of suspension similar to both struts and telescopic shock designs. Like struts, a spring
seat shock is a suspension unit and a damping device in one assembly. However, unlike struts,
this type of suspension is not subjected to high side loads. Spring seat shocks are sealed "throw
away" units and are built using similar components to conventional telescopic shocks.

3.5 BASICS OF SUSPENSION

To begin this training program, you need to know some basic information. First, you should
know that the tyres and wheels make vehicle motion possible. The chassis connects the tyres
and wheels to the vehicle's body. The chassis consists of the frame, suspension system, steering
system, tyres and wheels.

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When discussing a vehicle's chassis, the side-to-side distance between the centreline of the
tyres on an axles called track. The distance between the centre of the front and rear tyres is
called wheelbase. If the vehicle is in proper alignment, the wheels will roll in a line that is
parallel with the vehicle's geometric centreline.

Vehicle geometry, suspension, and steering design all affect the "handling" of a vehicle. To
better understand the term handling, we can address the following fundamentals that contribute
to good handling:

ROAD ISOLATION - is the vehicle's ability to absorb or isolate road shock from the
passenger compartment.

DIRECTIONAL STABILITY is the ability of the vehicle to maintain a directed path.

RETURNABILITY - is the ability of the vehicle to return the front wheels to straight ahead
after turning.

TRACKING - is the path taken by the front and rear wheels.

CORNERING - is the ability of the vehicle to travel a curved path.

So, to a great extent, handling depends on optimising the vehicle's suspension dynamics, or
dynamic control. This means that when a vehicle is in motion, all the components in the
suspension system work together effectively to provide tyre-to-road contact. The amount of
this traction force between the tyres and the road is the major factor in how well a vehicle can
manoeuvre through corners, or as it stops and accelerates.

3.6 FUNCTIONS OF SHOCK ABSORBERS

o Maintain correct vehicle ride height

o Reduce the effect of shock forces
o Maintain correct wheel alignment
o Support vehicle weight
o Keep the tyres in contact with the road
o Control the vehicle's direction of travel.

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However, in order for this to happen, all of the suspension components, both front and rear,
must be in good working condition.

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 CHAPTER-4

COMFORT AND SAFETY

The suspension system allows the vehicle body to ride relatively undisturbed while travelling
over rough roads. It also allows the vehicle to corner with roll or sway, stop with a minimum
of brake dive, and accelerate with a minimum of acceleration squat. This dynamic control will
keep the tyres in contact with the road.

4.1 Shocks and Struts are Safety Equipment

Most people believe that shocks and struts are only necessary for improving a vehicle's riding
comfort and handling. In truth, they do much more than that; their job is to help keep tyres on
the road. A vehicle riding on worn shocks and struts may be unsafe not only to the driver and
passengers, but also to other vehicles on the road. By replacing your worn shocks and struts,
you're providing yourself with a safer, more secure vehicle.

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It's important to understand that a vehicle's ability to steer, brake and accelerate depends first
and foremost on the adhesion, or friction, between the tyres and the road. This adhesion is also
referred to as the roadholding capability of the vehicle.

"Tyre Force Variation" is a measure of the roadholding capability of the vehicle, and is directly
influenced by shock absorber or strut performance. Shock absorbers and struts help maintain
vertical loads placed on the tyres by providing resistance to vehicle bounce, roll and sway.
They also help reduce brake dive along with acceleration squat to achieve a balanced ride.
Worn shocks and struts can allow excessive vehicle weight transfer from side to side and front
to rear...and that reduces the tyre's ability to grip the road. Because of this variation in tyre-to-
road contact, a vehicle's handling and braking performance can be reduced. This may affect the
safe operation of the vehicle and the safety of those riding inside. Therefore, shocks and struts
ARE SAFETY COMPONENTS.

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4.2 FRONT SUSPENSIONS

There are two major types of conventional front suspensions. They are dependent and
independent.

Dependent Front Suspensions

The dependent front suspension uses a solid axle. This design consists of one steel or
aluminium beam extending the width of the vehicle. This beam is held in place by leaf springs.

Notice that this design also uses king pins and bushings to attach the wheels outboard of the
axle. Because of its load carrying ability, the solid axle is only used on heavy trucks, and off-
road vehicles. It is not suitable for use on modern passenger cars for three important reasons:

Transfer of Road Shock. There is transfer of road shock from one wheel to the other due to the
way the wheels are connected to the axle. This causes a rough ride and could result in loss of
traction.

Unsprung Weight. Because the solid axle has a lot of unsprung weight, it needs more spring
and shock control to keep the tyres in contact with the road.

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Independent Front Suspensions

The independent front suspension was developed in the 1930's to improve vehicle ride control
and riding comfort. With the independent design, each wheel is mounted on its own axle. This
allows the wheels to respond individually to road conditions. Also, with independent front
suspension the sprung weight is reduced, creating a smoother ride.

Coil Spring

Now, let's look at the coil spring suspension, another example of an independent front
suspension. Notice that it is made up of the following components:

1. two upper control arms

2. two lower control arms
3. two steering knuckles
4. two spindles
5. two upper ball joints
6. two lower ball joints
7. bushings
8. coil springs
9. shock absorbers

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Notice that the control arms are of unequal length, with the upper arm shorter than the lower
arm. This design is known as the short-arm/long-arm, or the parallel arm design.

Using control arms of unequal length causes a slight camber change as the vehicle travels
through jounce and rebound. While this may sound bad, it actually is not. If both arms were
the same length, a track change would occur causing the tyre to travel sideways. The tyres
would then scrub the pavement, causing tyre wear and handling problems.

Notice that the shock and spring are positioned between the frame and the lower control arm.
You can see that the bottom of the spring rests on the lower control arm, while the top of the
spring is connected to the vehicle's frame.

The outer end of the control arm is connected to the steering knuckle with ball joints. Ball joints
are simple connectors, which consist of a ball and socket. The ball and socket assembly forms
the steering axis for the suspension system.

One ball joint is called the load carrier, meaning it carries the load of the vehicle or the force
of the spring.

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 CHAPTER-5

CONCLUSION

The purpose of this project is to study and analysis stiffness and damping of shock absorber
system. The stiffness and damping value for shock absorber are strongly related to the capacity
of the shock absorber. The results show that good matching with small discrepancy between
the experimental and simulation results. As conclusion, the shock absorber test rig capable to
identify dynamic characteristics of shock absorber. Basically, the shock absorbers must be
replaced after driving exceeds certain distance. But this actually not should have been followed
if there are no defective. To ensure there are no defective, the consideration to check the
condition of the shock absorber is the best way.

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 REFERENCE
[1] Hunter Engineering Company (2006). A Primer on Suspension Testing.: Technical Paper Hunter
Engineering Company.

[2] Knowles, D. (2003). Automotive Suspension & Steering System, Shop manual, 3rd Edition.
Cliftorn Park, NY: Delmar Learning.

[ 3] Gilles, T. (2005). Automotive Chassis: Brake, Steering & Suspension.: Cencage Learning.

[4] Birch, T.W. (1999). Automotive Suspension & Steering System, 3rd Edition: Delmar Cencage
Learning

[5] Newbold, D. and Bonnick, A. (2000). Practical Approach to Motor vehicle Engineering. : Edward
Arnold

[6] Nakara, B.C. and Chaudhury, K.K. 2004. Instrumentation Measurement and Analysis, 2nd Edition.:
Tata Mc Graw Hill.

[7] Pfisterer, U. (2007). The Opel DTM Race Car The technology of the 460HP DTM racing Opel
Astra V8 Coupe DTM project manager with Opel Performance Center.

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