Shock absorber
Calculation
1) Ride rate(Kr) (N/mm): is the stiffness of the wheel axel in relation to the chassis
kr= ∆𝑤 /𝑋 N/mm
Where :-
∆𝑤 is the total weight transfer (cornering + braking) for front wheels/(cornering +
accelerating) for rear wheels
X is the amount of wheel travel
Front, 𝐾r = ∆𝑤𝑥+∆𝑤𝑦/ 𝑋 (Braking + Cornering) N/mm
Rear, 𝐾r = ∆𝑤𝑥+∆𝑤𝑦 /𝑋 (Accelerating + Cornering) N/mm
2) Wheel rate(N/mm) : wheel rate combined with tire stiffness
kw = 𝐾𝑇∗𝐾r /𝐾𝑇+𝐾r N/mm
Where 𝑲𝑻 is the tyre stiffness
3) Spring Rate (Spring Stiffness) (N/mm): refers to the amount of force or weight is needed to
compress the spring by 1mm
k𝑠 = 𝐾𝑤 /𝑀.𝑅2 (if the motion ratio is less than 1)
𝐾𝑠 = 𝐾𝑤 * 𝑀. 𝑅 2 (if the motion ratio is more than 1)
4) Static damper load(N): load result from weight of car
at static and weight of driver
Static damper load = Static axle load at one wheel / Motion ratio
Ex:
weight of car = 754.3*9.81 = 7400 N
Static axle load at rear = 7400*1920/ 3235 = 4392 N For one wheel = 4392/ 2 = 2196 N
Static axle load at front = 7400-4392 = 3008 N For one wheel = 3008/2 = 1504 N
assume M.R =0.4 static damper load at rear = 2196/0.4 = 15490 N
static damper load at front = 1504 /0.4 = 3760 N
5) Static damper deflection(mm): is the distance which the damper compressed as the effect of
car weight and driver
F = Ks *X so x = F/Ks
Where Ks : is spring rate N/mm
F : is static damper load N/mm
x : is static damper deflection mm
6) Sprung mass natural frequency (HZ)
• 0.5 – 1.5 Hz for passenger cars
• 1.5 – 2.0 Hz for sedan racecars and moderate downforce formula cars
• 3.0 – 5.0 Hz for high downforce cars
1 𝐾𝑟
fs = 2𝜋 𝑠𝑝𝑟𝑢𝑛𝑔 𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑠
Ex : car mass 300 kg sprung mass , weight distribution 40% front 60% rear , front kr =32.7 N/mm ,
Rear Kr = 28.7 N/mm
300 ∗0.4 1 32.7∗1000
Front sprung mass = = 60 𝑘𝑔 so fs = 2𝜋 = 3.71 𝐻𝑍
2 60
300∗0.6 1 28.7∗1000
Rear sprung mass = 2
= 90𝑘𝑔 so fs = 2𝜋 90
= 2.84 𝐻𝑍
7) Roll rate (Nm/deg) : is the stiffness of the car in rolling
𝑇 2 ∗𝐾𝑟
𝐾ϕ=
114.6∗103
Where; T is the trackwidth (mm) and KR is the ride rate (N/mm)
8) ROLL couple
𝐶 = 𝐴𝑦 ∗ 9.81 ∗ 𝑚𝑠 ∗ ℎa
Where; 𝑨𝒚 is the lateral g force, ms is the sprung mass (kg) and 𝒉𝒂 is the vertical distance from roll axis to the cg height (m)
9)Roll couple percentage
𝑘𝜑𝑓
C𝑓 % = 𝐶𝑟 % = 100- C𝑓 %
𝑘𝜑𝑓+𝑘𝜑𝑟
Where; 𝑲𝝓𝒇 is the front roll rate (Nm/deg) and 𝑲𝝓𝒓 is the rear roll rate (Nm/deg)
10) Body roll angle: the angle through which the car rotate about its longitudinal axis
rear front
For front
Roll couple resisted at front Cr= C * Cr %
Roll couple resisted at front Cf= C * Cf % 𝑐𝑟
𝑐𝑓 Resulting weight transfer ∆𝑤 = 𝑇 𝑁
Resulting weight transfer ∆𝑤 = 𝑇 𝑁 ∆𝑊
∆𝑊 Vertical displacement of the wheel from roll, X=
Vertical displacement of the wheel from roll, X= 𝑘𝑟
𝑘𝑟 𝑥
𝑥 Body roll angle = tan−1 deg
Body roll angle = tan−1 𝑇/2 deg 𝑇/2
11)Roll Gradient: derivative of vehicle body roll angle with respect to the lateral g force
𝑏𝑜𝑑𝑦 𝑟𝑜𝑙𝑙 𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑙𝑒
Roll gradient = (deg / g)
𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑙 𝑔 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑐𝑒
12) Damping coefficient
The viscous dampers operate by forcing a fluid through an orifice which produce a force that restrain the spring motion.
. To get the required damping coefficient, the critical damping coefficient is multiplied by the damping ratio (𝛇), and the average
damping ratios for racing cars are about 0.65 – 0.7
4𝜋 ∗𝑚𝑠 ∗𝑓𝑠 2
C crit = OR C crit = 4𝜋. 𝑚𝑠 . 𝑓𝑠 . 𝑀. 𝑅
(𝑀.𝑅)2
Where; 𝒎𝒔 is the corner sprung mass, 𝒇𝒔 is the sprung natural frequency
𝑐
𝞯= 𝞯 =1 its mean c = 𝑐𝑐𝑟𝑖𝑡 critical damping
𝑐𝑐𝑟𝑖𝑡
𝞯 >1 its mean c > 𝑐𝑐𝑟𝑖𝑡 over damping
𝞯<1 its mean c < 𝑐𝑐𝑟𝑖𝑡 under damping
c = 𝑐𝑐𝑟𝑖𝑡 *𝞯
13) Spring design
Do: outer diameter
Di: inner diameter
D : mean diameter
.d : wire diameter
P: pitch
L : free length
Inner dia + wire dia *2 = outer diameter
𝑜𝑢𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑑𝑖𝑎+𝑖𝑛𝑛𝑒𝑟 𝑑𝑖𝑎
= mean diameter
2
𝐺 .𝑑4 𝐺.𝑑 4
𝑘𝑠 = 𝑛𝑎 =
8.𝐷.𝑛𝑎 8.𝐷.𝐾𝑠
G: is shear modulus
Ks : spring rate
.na : number of active colies
.d : wire diameter
D: mean diameter
Example
givens : wheel base =1600mm , track width =1000mm , mass of car =300kg(250 sprung+50 un sprung )
weight distribution 40% front 60 % rear , tire coff of friction =1.2 , cg height 200 mm , wheel travel 30mm
down force =500 N , front motion ratio =0.7 , rear motion ratio =0.6 , tire stiffness = 150 n/m
𝒉𝒂 is the vertical distance from roll axis to the cg height = 0.175 m
Solution :
Wight of car = 300*9.91= 2943 N
Static rear axle load = wr=2943*960/1600 = 1765.8 N for one wheel = 1765.8/2 = 882.9N
Static front axle load = wf= 2943*640/1600 = 1177.2 N for one wheel = 1177.2/2 = 588.6N
Acceleration
1765.8∗1.2 2492.89∗200 311.611
Traction force = 200∗1.2 = 2492.89 𝑁 ∆𝑊𝑥 = = 311.611 𝑁 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑒𝑙 = = 155.80
1− 1600 1600 2
Braking
Total effective weight = 2943+500 = 3446 N
Braking force = 3446*1.2 = 4135.2 N
4135.2∗200 516.9
∆𝑤𝑥 = = 516.9 𝑁 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑒𝑙 = = 258.45 𝑁
200 2
Cornering
total weight =3446N
cornering force = 4135.2 N
4135.2 ∗200
∆𝑤 = = 827.04 N for on wheel = 827.04 *0.625 = 516.9 N
1000
4135.2
lateral g force = = 1.405 𝑔
2943
1) Wheel rate
258.45+516.9 155.80+516.9
Front kw= = 25.845 n/mm rear kw= = 22.42 𝑁/𝑚𝑚
30 30
2) Ride rate
150∗25.845 150∗22.42
Front Kr= 150+25.845 = 22.046N/mm rear kr=150+22.42 = 19.504 𝑁/𝑚𝑚
3) Spring rate
25.845 22.42 𝑁
Front ks = = 52.74 𝑁/𝑚𝑚 rear ks = = 62.27 𝑚𝑚
0.72 0.62
4) Static damper load
588.6 882.9
Front F= = 840.85 𝑁 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑟 F = = 1471.5 N
0.7 0.6
5)Static damper deflection
840.85 1471.5
front x= 52.74 = 15.94 𝑚𝑚 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑟 𝑥 = = 23.63 𝑚𝑚
62.27
6) sprung mass natural frequency
1 22.046∗1000 1 19.504∗1000
front fs =2𝜋 = 3.34HZ rear fs = 2𝜋 = 2.565 𝐻𝑍
50 75
7) roll rate
10002 ∗22.04 10002 ∗19.504
front k𝜑 = = 192.311 𝑁𝑚/ deg 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑟 𝑘𝜑 = = 107.19 Nm/de
114.6∗103 114.6∗103
8) Roll couple
C= 1.405 * 9.81*250*0.175 = 603.008 Nm
9) Roll couple percentage
119.311
Front Cf% = 119.311+107.19 = 0.526 rear cr% = 1 - 0.5306 =0.473
10)Body roll angle
front Cf = 603.003*0.526 =317.18 rear Cr= 603.008*0.473 = 285.22
317.18 285.22
∆𝑤 = 1 = 317.18 N ∆𝑤 = 1 = 285.22 𝑁
317.18 282.22
X=22.046 = 14.387𝑚𝑚 𝑥= 19.504
= 14.62 𝑚𝑚
14.38 14.62
body roll angle = tan−1 = 1.6𝑑𝑒𝑔 body roll angle = tan−1 = 1.6 𝑑𝑒𝑔
500 500
11) roll gradient
88.04
roll gradient = = 62.66 deg/g
1.405
12) Spring design
