INTRODUCTION TO MAGNETIC SHOCK ABSORBERS

THE IDEA FOR A MAGNETIC SHOCK ABSORBER (FOR AUTOMOBILES AND TWO-WHEELERS), MAKES
USE OF THE MAGNETIC REPULSION BETWEEN DIPOLES TO ACHIEVE SHOCK ABSORPTION. OFTEN
WHEN RIDING ON HER TWO-WHEELER WE USED TO FACE SOME PROBLEMS WHILE MOVING ON THE
BUMPY ROAD DUE TO ITS UNEVENNESS.

IT OBSERVED THAT THE LIKE POLES OF TWO MAGNETS OF THE SAME PROPERTIES AND STRENGTH
REPULSE EACH OTHER AND THEY KEEP A CONSTANT DISTANCE BETWEEN EACH OTHER BECAUSE OF
THEIR MAGNETIC FIELDS. THIS MADE HER THINK THAT IF THE SHOCK ABSORBERS ARE MADE OF
MAGNETS WITH SIMILAR POLES FACING EACH OTHER, IT MAY GIVE BETTER PERFORMANCE AND NO
MAINTENANCE WOULD BE REQUIRED FOR THE SAME.

THE UNIT COMPRISES OF TWO CIRCULAR MAGNETS AND A ROD (STRAIGHT CYLINDRICAL ROD
WHICH CAN BE USED AS AXLE). ONE MAGNET IS ATTACHED AT THE BOTTOM OF THE ROD AND IS THE
BASE MAGNET. THE OTHER MAGNET IS FREE, WITH A FLOAT AND HAS THE SIMILAR POLE PLACED
TOWARDS THE BASE MAGNET. THE SIMILARITY OF POLES CREATES REPULSION AND A CERTAIN
DISTANCE IS MAINTAINED. AS PER LOAD CONDITION, THE FLOATING MAGNET MOVES AND CLOSES
THE GAP UNTIL THE MAGNETIC REPULSION IS STRONG ENOUGH TO CREATE THE DAMPING ACTION.
IN THIS MANNER A SHOCK ABSORBER WITHOUT SPRINGS WORKING ON THE BASIC LAW OF
MAGNETS -OPPOSITE POLES ATTRACT AND SIMILAR POLES REPEL- IS PREPARED.

ADVANTAGES

THIS SHOCK ABSORBER WILL ERADICATE THE PROBLEMS FACED IN THE SPRING SHOCK ABSORBERS
DUE TO FRICTION AND OTHER FACTORS. THIS WILL ALSO REDUCE THE MAINTENANCE COSTS AS IT
DOES NOT NEED REPAIRING, CHANGING OF SPRINGS OR DEALING WITH LEAKAGE PROBLEMS AS IN
SPRING OR OIL SHOCK ABSORBERS. THIS MAGNETIC SHOCK ABSORBER CAN BE USED IN VEHICLES
CARRYING HEAVY OR LESS LOAD. IMPROVING ON HER CONCEPT SHE SAYS THAT TO MAKE THESE
MAGNETIC SHOCK ABSORBERS EVEN BETTER, A CHAIN OF MORE THAN TWO MAGNETS CAN BE USED
TO TOLERATE THE SHOCKS OR WEIGHT AND MAKE THE VEHICLE MORE COMFORTABLE.

SHOCK ABSORBERS

A SHOCK ABSORBER IN COMMON PARLANCE (OR DAMPER IN TECHNICAL USE) IS A MECHANICAL

DEVICE DESIGNED TO SMOOTH OUT OR DAMP SUDDEN SHOCK IMPULSE AND DISSIPATE KINETIC
ENERGY. IT IS ANALOGOUS TO A RESISTOR IN AN ELECTRIC RLC CIRCUIT.

SHOCK ABSORBERS MUST ABSORB OR DISSIPATE ENERGY. ONE DESIGN CONSIDERATION, WHEN
DESIGNING OR CHOOSING A SHOCK ABSORBER IS WHERE THAT ENERGY WILL GO. IN MOST
DASHPOTS, ENERGY IS CONVERTED TO HEAT INSIDE THE VISCOUS FLUID. IN HYDRAULIC CYLINDERS,
THE HYDRAULIC FLUID WILL HEAT UP. IN AIR CYLINDERS, THE HOT AIR IS USUALLY EXHAUSTED TO
THE ATMOSPHERE. IN OTHER TYPES OF DASHPOTS, SUCH AS ELECTROMAGNETIC ONES, THE
DISSIPATED ENERGY CAN BE STORED AND USED LATER.
SHOCK ABSORBERS ARE AN IMPORTANT PART OF AUTOMOBILE AND MOTORCYCLE SUSPENSIONS,
AIRCRAFT LANDING GEAR, AND THE SUPPORTS FOR MANY INDUSTRIAL MACHINES. LARGE SHOCK
ABSORBERS HAVE ALSO BEEN USED IN STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING TO REDUCE THE SUSCEPTIBILITY
OF STRUCTURES TO EARTHQUAKE DAMAGE AND RESONANCE.

SHOCK ABSORBERS, LINEAR DAMPERS, AND DASHPOTS ARE DEVICES DESIGNED TO PROVIDE
ABSORPTION OF SHOCK AND SMOOTH DECELERATION IN LINEAR MOTION APPLICATIONS. THEY MAY
BE MECHANICAL (E.G., ELASTOMERIC OR COIL SPRING) OR RELY ON A FLUID (GAS, AIR, HYDRAULIC),
WHICH ABSORBS SHOCK BY ALLOWING CONTROLLED FLOW FROM OUTER TO INNER CHAMBER OF A
CYLINDER DURING PISTON ACTUATION. IN CONVENTIONAL SHOCK ABSORBERS THE PISTON ROD IS
TYPICALLY RETURNED TO THE UNLOADED POSITION WITH A SPRING. SHOCK ABSORBERS TYPICALLY
CONTAIN EITHER A FLUID OR MECHANICAL DAMPENING SYSTEM AND A RETURN MECHANISM TO
THE UNENGAGED POSITION. THEY VARY FROM SMALL DEVICE APPLICATION TO LARGE INDUSTRIAL
AND CIVIL ENGINEERING USES. LINEAR DAMPERS IS AN INCLUSIVE TERM THAT CAN BE APPLIED TO
MANY FORMS OF DASHPOTS AND SHOCK ABSORBERS; TYPICALLY USED FOR DEVICES DESIGNED
PRIMARILY FOR RECIPROCATING MOTION ATTENUATION RATHER THAN ABSORPTION OF LARGE
SHOCK LOADS. DASHPOTS ARE TYPICALLY DISTINCT IN THAT WHILE THEY USE CONTROLLED FLUID
FLOW TO DAMPEN AND DECELERATE MOTION, THEY DO NOT NECESSARILY INCORPORATE AN
INTEGRAL RETURN MECHANISM SUCH AS A SPRING. DASHPOTS ARE OFTEN RELATIVELY SMALL,
PRECISE DEVICES USED FOR APPLICATIONS SUCH AS INSTRUMENTATION AND PRECISION
MANUFACTURING.

SHOCK ABSORBERS OR DAMPER TYPES FOR SHOCK ABSORBERS, LINEAR DAMPERS AND DASHPOTS
CAN BE HYDRAULIC, AIR, GAS SPRING, OR ELASTOMERIC. THE ABSORPTION OR DAMPING ACTION
CAN BE COMPRESSION OR EXTENSION. IMPORTANT PARAMETERS TO CONSIDER WHEN SEARCHING
FOR SHOCK ABSORBERS, LINEAR DAMPERS AND DASHPOTS INCLUDE ABSORBER STROKE,
COMPRESSED LENGTH, EXTENDED LENGTH, MAXIMUM FORCE (P1), AND MAXIMUM CYCLES PER
MINUTE. ABSORBER OR SPRING STROKE IS DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FULLY EXTENDED AND FULLY
COMPRESSED POSITION. COMPRESSED LENGTH IS THE MINIMUM LENGTH OF SHOCK (COMPRESSED
POSITION). EXTENDED LENGTH IS THE MAXIMUM LENGTH OF SHOCK (EXTENDED POSITION). THE
MAXIMUM RATED FORCE FOR SHOCK ABSORBER OR DAMPER, REFERRED TO AS THE P1 FORCE. THE
MAXIMUM CYCLES PER MINUTE ARE THE RATED FREQUENCY OF COMPRESSION/EXTENSION CYCLES.

IMPORTANT PHYSICAL SPECIFICATIONS TO CONSIDER WHEN SEARCHING SHOCK ABSORBERS, LINEAR

DAMPERS AND DASHPOTS INCLUDE THE CYLINDER DIAMETER OR MAXIMUM WIDTH, THE ROD
DIAMETER, MOUNTING, AND BODY MATERIAL. THE CYLINDER DIAMETER OR MAXIMUM WIDTH
REFERS TO THE DESIRED DIAMETER OF HOUSING CYLINDER. THE ROD DIAMETER REFERS TO THE
DESIRED DIAMETER OF EXTENDING ROD. MOUNTING CHOICES INCLUDE BALL AND SOCKET, ROD
END, CLEVIS, EYELET, TAPERED END, THREADED, AND BUMPER OR ROD END UNATTACHED. CHOICES
FOR BODY MATERIALS INCLUDE ALUMINUM, STEEL, STAINLESS STEEL, AND THERMOPLASTIC.
COMMON FEATURES FOR SHOCK ABSORBERS, LINEAR DAMPERS AND DASHPOTS INCLUDE
ADJUSTABLE CONFIGURATION, REDUCIBLE, LOCKING, AND VALVE. AN ADJUSTABLE CONFIGURATION
ALLOWS THE USER TO FINE TUNE DESIRED DAMPING, EITHER CONTINUOUSLY OR AT DISCRETE
SETTINGS. A REDUCIBLE SHOCK ABSORBER, LINEAR DAMPER OR DASHPOT HAS AN ADJUSTMENT
STYLE FOR GAS SHOCKS IN WHICH GAS IS LET OUT TO PERMANENTLY REDUCE FORCE CAPACITY. IN A
LOCKING CONFIGURATION THE POSITION CAN BE LOCKED AT ENDS OR IN THE MIDDLE OF STROKE.
VALVES CAN BE INCLUDED FOR FLUID ABSORBERS, A VALVE OR PORT, WHICH CAN BE USED TO
INCREASE OR DECREASE FLUID VOLUME OR PRESSURE.

USES OF SHOCK ABSORBERS

VEHICLES SUSPENSION

IN A VEHICLE, IT REDUCES THE EFFECT OF TRAVELING OVER ROUGH GROUND, LEADING TO

IMPROVED RIDE QUALITY. WITHOUT SHOCK ABSORBERS, THE VEHICLE WOULD HAVE A BOUNCING
RIDE, AS ENERGY IS STORED IN THE SPRING AND THEN RELEASED TO THE VEHICLE, POSSIBLY
EXCEEDING THE ALLOWED RANGE OF SUSPENSION MOVEMENT. CONTROL OF EXCESSIVE
SUSPENSION MOVEMENT WITHOUT SHOCK ABSORPTION REQUIRES STIFFER (HIGHER RATE)
SPRINGS, WHICH WOULD IN TURN GIVE A HARSH RIDE. SHOCK ABSORBERS ALLOW THE USE OF SOFT
(LOWER RATE) SPRINGS WHILE CONTROLLING THE RATE OF SUSPENSION MOVEMENT IN RESPONSE
TO BUMPS. THEY ALSO, ALONG WITH HYSTERESIS IN THE TIRE ITSELF, DAMP THE MOTION OF THE
UNSPRUNG WEIGHT UP AND DOWN ON THE SPRINGINESS OF THE TIRE. SINCE THE TIRE IS NOT AS
SOFT AS THE SPRINGS, EFFECTIVE WHEEL BOUNCE DAMPING MAY REQUIRE STIFFER SHOCKS THAN
WOULD BE IDEAL FOR THE VEHICLE MOTION ALONE.

SPRING-BASED SHOCK ABSORBERS COMMONLY USE COIL SPRINGS ORLEAF SPRINGS, THOUGH
TORSION BARS CAN BE USED IN TORSIONAL SHOCKS AS WELL. IDEAL SPRINGS ALONE, HOWEVER,
ARE NOT SHOCK ABSORBERS AS SPRINGS ONLY STORE AND DO NOT DISSIPATE OR ABSORB ENERGY.
VEHICLES TYPICALLY EMPLOY BOTH SPRINGS OR TORSION BARS AS WELL AS HYDRAULIC SHOCK
ABSORBERS. IN THIS COMBINATION, "SHOCK ABSORBER" IS RESERVED SPECIFICALLY FOR THE
HYDRAULIC PISTON THAT ABSORBS AND DISSIPATES VIBRATION.

STRUCTURES

APPLIED TO A STRUCTURE SUCH AS A BUILDING OR BRIDGEIT MAY BE PART OF A SEISMIC RETROFIT

OR AS PART OF NEW EARTHQUAKE RESISTANT CONSTRUCTION. IN THIS APPLICATION IT ALLOWS YET
RESTRAINS MOTION AND ABSORBSRESONANT ENERGY, WHICH CAN CAUSE EXCESSIVE MOTION AND
EVENTUALSTRUCTURAL FAILURE.

DIFFERENT SHOCK ABSORBERS IN USE

THERE ARE SEVERAL COMMONLY-USED APPROACHES TO SHOCK ABSORPTION:

HYSTERSIS OF STRUCTURAL MATERIAL, FOR EXAMPLE THE COMPRESSION OF RUBBER DISKS,

STRETCHING OF RUBBER BANDS AND CORDS, BENDING OFSTEEL SPRINGS, OR TWISTING OF TORSION
BARS. HYSTERESIS IS THE TENDENCY FOR OTHERWISE ELASTIC MATERIALS TO REBOUND WITH LESS
FORCE THAN WAS REQUIRED TO DEFORM THEM. SIMPLE VEHICLES WITH NO SEPARATE SHOCK
ABSORBERS ARE DAMPED, TO SOME EXTENT, BY THE HYSTERESIS OF THEIR SPRINGS AND FRAMES.

DRY FRICTION AS USED IN WHEEL BRAKES, BY USING DISKS (CLASSICALLY MADE OF LEATHER) AT THE
PIVOT OF A LEVER, WITH FRICTION FORCED BY SPRINGS. USED IN EARLY AUTOMOBILES. ALTHOUGH
NOW CONSIDERED OBSOLETE, AN ADVANTAGE OF THIS SYSTEM IS ITS MECHANICAL SIMPLICITY; THE
DEGREE OF DAMPING CAN BE EASILY ADJUSTED BY TIGHTENING OR LOOSENING THE SCREW
CLAMPING THE DISKS, AND IT CAN BE EASILY REBUILT WITH SIMPLE HAND TOOLS. A DISADVANTAGE
IS THAT THE DAMPING FORCE TENDS NOT TO INCREASE WITH THE SPEED OF THE VERTICAL MOTION.

SOLID STATE, TAPERED CHAIN SHOCK ABSORBERS, USING ONE OR MORE TAPERED, AXIAL
ALIGNMENT(S) OF GRANULAR SPHERES, TYPICALLY MADE OF METALS SUCH AS NITINOL, IN A
CASING.

FLUID FRICTION, FOR EXAMPLE THE FLOW OF FLUID THROUGH A NARROW ORIFICE (HYDRAULICS),
CONSTITUTE THE VAST MAJORITY OF AUTOMOTIVE SHOCK ABSORBERS. AN ADVANTAGE OF THIS
TYPE IS THAT USING SPECIAL INTERNAL VALVING THE ABSORBER MAY BE MADE RELATIVELY SOFT TO
COMPRESSION (ALLOWING A SOFT RESPONSE TO A BUMP) AND RELATIVELY STIFF TO EXTENSION,
CONTROLLING JOUNCE, WHICH IS THE VEHICLE RESPONSE TO ENERGY STORED IN THE SPRINGS;
SIMILARLY, A SERIES OF VALVES CONTROLLED BY SPRINGS CAN CHANGE THE DEGREE OF STIFFNESS
ACCORDING TO THE VELOCITY OF THE IMPACT OR REBOUND. SOME SHOCK ABSORBERS ALLOW
TUNING OF THE RIDE VIA CONTROL OF THE VALVE BY A MANUAL ADJUSTMENT PROVIDED AT THE
SHOCK ABSORBER. IN MORE EXPENSIVE VEHICLES THE VALVES MAY BE REMOTELY ADJUSTABLE,
OFFERING THE DRIVER CONTROL OF THE RIDE AT WILL WHILE THE VEHICLE IS OPERATED. THE
ULTIMATE CONTROL IS PROVIDED BY DYNAMIC VALVE CONTROL VIA COMPUTER IN RESPONSE TO
SENSORS, GIVING BOTH A SMOOTH RIDE AND A FIRM SUSPENSION WHEN NEEDED. MANY SHOCK
ABSORBERS CONTAIN COMPRESSED NITROGEN, TO REDUCE THE TENDENCY FOR THE OIL TO FOAM
UNDER HEAVY USE. FOAMING TEMPORARILY REDUCES THE DAMPING ABILITY OF THE UNIT.
ANOTHER VARIATION IS THE MAGNETO RHEOLOGICAL DAMPER WHICH CHANGES ITS FLUID
CHARACTERISTICS THROUGH AN ELECTROMAGNET.

COMPRESSION OF A GAS, FOR EXAMPLE PNEUMATIC SHOCK ABSORBERS, WHICH CAN ACT LIKE
SPRINGS AS THE AIR PRESSURE IS BUILDING TO RESIST THE FORCE ON IT. ONCE THE AIR PRESSURE
REACHES THE NECESSARY MAXIMUM, AIR DASHPOTS WILL ACT LIKE HYDRAULIC DASHPOTS. IN
AIRCRAFT LANDING GEAR AIR DASHPOTS MAY BE COMBINED WITH HYDRAULIC DAMPING TO
REDUCE BOUNCE. SUCH STRUTS ARE CALLED OLEO STRUTS(COMBINING OIL AND AIR).

MAGNETIC EFFECTS. EDDY CURRENT DAMPERS ARE DASHPOTS THAT ARE CONSTRUCTED OUT OF A
LARGE MAGNET INSIDE OF A NON-MAGNETIC, ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE TUBE.

INERTIAL RESISTANCE TO ACCELERATION, FOR EXAMPLE PRIOR TO 1966 THE CITROEN 2CV HAD
SHOCK ABSORBERS THAT DAMP WHEEL BOUNCE WITH NO EXTERNAL MOVING PARTS. THESE
CONSISTED OF A SPRING-MOUNTED 3.5 KG (7.75 LB) IRON WEIGHT INSIDE A VERTICAL CYLINDER
AND ARE SIMILAR TO, YET MUCH SMALLER THAN VERSIONS OF THE TUNED MASS DAMPERS USED
ON TALL BUILDINGS

COMPOSITE HYDROPNEUMATIC DEVICES WHICH COMBINE IN A SINGLE DEVICE SPRING ACTION,

SHOCK ABSORPTION, AND OFTEN ALSO RIDE-HEIGHT CONTROL, AS IN SOME MODELS OF THE
CITROEN AUTOMOBILE.

CONVENTIONAL SHOCK ABSORBERS COMBINED WITH COMPOSITE PNEUMATIC SPRINGS WITH

WHICH ALLOW RIDE HEIGHT ADJUSTMENT OR EVEN RIDE HEIGHT CONTROL, SEEN IN SOME LARGE
TRUCKS AND LUXURY SEDANS SUCH AS CERTAIN LINCOLN AND MOST LAND ROVER AUTOMOBILES.
RIDE HEIGHT CONTROL IS ESPECIALLY DESIRABLE IN HIGHWAY VEHICLES INTENDED FOR OCCASIONAL
ROUGH ROAD USE, AS A MEANS OF IMPROVING HANDLING AND REDUCING AERODYNAMIC DRAG BY
LOWERING THE VEHICLE WHEN OPERATING ON IMPROVED HIGH SPEED ROADS.
THE EFFECT OF A SHOCK ABSORBER AT HIGH (SOUND) FREQUENCIES IS USUALLY LIMITED BY USING A
COMPRESSIBLE GAS AS THE WORKING FLUID AND/OR MOUNTING IT WITH RUBBER BUSHINGS.

A BRIEF HISTORY

IN THE EARLY 1900S, CARS STILL RODE ON CARRIAGE SPRINGS. AFTER ALL, EARLY DRIVERS HAD
BIGGER THINGS TO WORRY ABOUT THAN THE QUALITY OF THEIR RIDE LIKE KEEPING THEIR CARS
ROLLING OVER THE ROCKS AND RUTS THAT OFTEN PASSED FOR ROADS.

PIONEERING VEHICLE MANUFACTURERS WERE FACED EARLY ON WITH THE CHALLENGES OF

ENHANCING DRIVER CONTROL AND PASSENGER COMFORT. THESE EARLY SUSPENSION DESIGNS
FOUND THE FRONT WHEELS ATTACHED TO THE AXLE USING STEERING SPINDLES AND KINGPINS. THIS
ALLOWED THE WHEELS TO PIVOT WHILE THE AXLE REMAINED STATIONARY. ADDITIONALLY, THE UP
AND DOWN OSCILLATION OF THE LEAF SPRING WAS DAMPED BY DEVICE CALLED A SHOCK
ABSORBER.

THESE FIRST SHOCK ABSORBERS WERE SIMPLY TWO ARMS CONNECTED BY A BOLT WITH A FRICTION
DISK BETWEEN THEM. RESISTANCE WAS ADJUSTED BY TIGHTENING OR LOOSENING THE BOLT.

AS MIGHT BE EXPECTED, THE SHOCKS WERE NOT VERY DURABLE, AND THE PERFORMANCE LEFT
MUCH TO BE DESIRED. OVER THE YEARS, SHOCK ABSORBERS HAVE EVOLVED INTO MORE
SOPHISTICATED DESIGNS.

WHAT SHOCKS DO ?

LETS START OUR DISCUSSION OF SHOCK ABSORBERS WITH ONE OF VERY IMPORTANT POINT:
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. THIS IS ACCOMPLISHED BY TURNING THE KINETIC ENERGY
OF SUSPENSION MOVEMENT INTO THERMAL ENERGY, OR HEAT ENERGY, TO BE DISSIPATED
THROUGH THE HYDRAULIC FLUID.

SHOCK ABSORBERS ARE BASICALLY OIL PUMPS. A PISTON IS ATTACHED TO THE END OF THE PISTON
ROD AND WORKS AGAINST HYDRAULIC FLUID IN THE PRESSURE TUBE. AS THE SUSPENSION TRAVELS
UP AND DOWN, THE HYDRAULIC FLUID IS FORCED THROUGH TINY HOLES, CALLED ORIFICES, INSIDE
THE PISTON. HOWEVER, THESE 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. ALL MODERN SHOCK
ABSORBERS ARE VELOCITY SENSITIVE HYDRAULIC DAMPING DEVICES MEANING THE FASTER THE
SUSPENSION MOVES, THE MORE RESISTANCE THE SHOCK ABSORBER PROVIDES. BECAUSE OF THIS
FEATURE, SHOCK ABSORBERS ADJUST TO ROAD CONDITIONS. AS A RESULT, SHOCK ABSORBERS
REDUCE THE RATE OF:

BOUNCE

ROLL OR SWAY

BRAKE DIVE AND ACCELERATION SQUAT

SHOCK ABSORBERS WORK ON THE PRINCIPLE OF FLUID DISPLACEMENT ON BOTH THE COMPRESSION
AND EXTENSION CYCLE. A TYPICAL CAR OR LIGHT TRUCK WILL HAVE MORE RESISTANCE DURING ITS
EXTENSION CYCLE THEN ITS COMPRESSION CYCLE. THE COMPRESSION CYCLE CONTROLS THE
MOTION OF A VEHICLES UNSPRUNG WEIGHT, WHILE EXTENSION CONTROLS THE HEAVIER SPRUNG
WEIGHT.

WORKING OF SHOCK ABSORBERS

SHOCK ABSORBERS WORK IN TWO CYCLES -- THE COMPRESSION CYCLE AND THE EXTENSION CYCLE.
THE COMPRESSION CYCLE OCCURS AS THE PISTON MOVES DOWNWARD, COMPRESSING THE
HYDRAULIC FLUID IN THE CHAMBER BELOW THE PISTON. THE EXTENSION CYCLE OCCURS AS THE
PISTON MOVES TOWARD THE TOP OF THE PRESSURE TUBE, COMPRESSING THE FLUID IN THE
CHAMBER ABOVE THE PISTON. A TYPICAL CAR OR LIGHT TRUCK WILL HAVE MORE RESISTANCE
DURING ITS EXTENSION CYCLE THAN ITS COMPRESSION CYCLE. WITH THAT IN MIND, THE
COMPRESSION CYCLE CONTROLS THE MOTION OF THE VEHICLE'S UNSPRUNG WEIGHT, WHILE
EXTENSION CONTROLS THE HEAVIER, SPRUNG 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 RESERVE TUBE. TO CONTROL THE FLOW, THERE ARE THREE VALVING STAGES EACH IN THE
PISTON AND IN THE COMPRESSION VALVE.

AT THE PISTON, OIL FLOWS THROUGH THE OIL PORTS, AND AT SLOW PISTON SPEEDS, THE FIRST
STAGE BLEEDS COME INTO PLAY AND RESTRICT THE AMOUNT OF OIL FLOW. THIS ALLOWS A
CONTROLLED FLOW OF FLUID FROM CHAMBER B TO CHAMBER A.
AT FASTER PISTON SPEEDS, THE INCREASE IN FLUID PRESSURE BELOW THE PISTON IN CHAMBER B
CAUSES THE DISCS TO OPEN UP AWAY FROM THE VALVE SEAT.

AT HIGH SPEEDS, THE LIMIT OF THE SECOND STAGE DISCS PHASES INTO THE THIRD STAGE ORIFICE
RESTRICTIONS. COMPRESSION CONTROL, THEN, IS THE FORCE THAT RESULTS FROM A 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 PISTONS 3-STAGE EXTENSION VALVE
INTO CHAMBER B.

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 B. THE PRESSURE IN THE RESERVE TUBE IS NOW GREATER THAN THAT IN CHAMBER B,
FORCING THE COMPRESSION INTAKE VALVE TO UNSEAT. FLUID THEN FLOWS FROM THE RESERVE
TUBE INTO CHAMBER B, KEEPING THE PRESSURE TUBE FULL.

EXTENSION CONTROL IS A FORCE PRESENT AS A RESULT OF THE HIGHER PRESSURE IN CHAMBER A,

ACTING ON THE TOPSIDE OF THE PISTON AREA.

DIFFERENT SHOCK ABSORBER DESIGN

THERE ARE SEVERAL SHOCK ABSORBER DESIGNS IN USE TODAY:

TWIN TUBE DESIGNS

GAS CHARGED

ASD

PSD

MONO TUBE DESIGN

BASIC TWIN TUBE DESIGN

THE TWIN TUBE DESIGN HAS AN INNER TUBE KNOWN AS THE WORKING OR PRESSURE TUBE AND AN
OUTER TUBE KNOWN AS THE RESERVE TUBE. THE OUTER TUBE IS USED TO STORE EXCESS
HYDRAULIC FLUID.

THERE ARE MANY TYPES OF SHOCK ABSORBER MOUNTS USED TODAY. MOST OF THESE USE RUBBER
BUSHINGS BETWEEN THE SHOCK ABSORBER AND THE FRAME OR SUSPENSION TO REDUCE
TRANSMITTED ROAD NOISE AND SUSPENSION VIBRATION. THE RUBBER BUSHINGS ARE FLEXIBLE TO
ALLOW MOVEMENT DURING SUSPENSION TRAVEL. THE UPPER MOUNT OF THE SHOCK ABSORBER
CONNECTS TO THE VEHICLE FRAME.

NOTICE THAT THE PISTON ROD PASSES THROUGH A ROD GUIDE AND A SEAL AT THE UPPER END OF
THE PRESSURE TUBE. THE ROD GUIDE KEEPS THE ROD IN LINE WITH THE PRESSURE TUBE AND
ALLOWS THE PISTON TO MOVE FREELY INSIDE. THE SEAL KEEPS THE HYDRAULIC OIL INSIDE AND
CONTAMINATION OUT.

THE BASE VALVE LOCATED AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PRESSURE TUBE IS CALLED A COMPRESSION
VALVE. IT CONTROLS FLUID MOVEMENT DURING THE COMPRESSION CYCLE.

BORE SIZE IS THE DIAMETER OF THE PISTON AND THE INSIDE OF THE PRESSURE TUBE. GENERALLY,
THE LARGER THE UNIT, THE HIGHER THE POTENTIAL CONTROL LEVELS BECAUSE OF THE LARGER
PISTON DISPLACEMENT AND PRESSURE AREAS. THE LARGER THE PISTON AREA, THE LOWER THE
INTERNAL OPERATING PRESSURE AND TEMPERATURES. THIS PROVIDES HIGHER DAMPING
CAPABILITIES.

RIDE ENGINEERS SELECT VALVING VALUES FOR A PARTICULAR VEHICLE TO ACHIEVE OPTIMAL RIDE
CHARACTERISTICS OF BALANCE AND STABILITY UNDER A WIDE VARIETY OF DRIVING CONDITIONS.
THEIR SELECTION OF VALVE SPRINGS AND ORIFICES CONTROL FLUID FLOW WITHIN THE UNIT, WHICH
DETERMINES THE FEEL AND HANDLING OF THE VEHICLE.
TWIN TUBE GAS CHARGED DESIGN

THE DEVELOPMENT OF GAS CHARGED SHOCK ABSORBERS WAS A MAJOR ADVANCE IN RIDE
CONTROL TECHNOLOGY. THIS ADVANCE SOLVED MANY RIDE CONTROL PROBLEMS WHICH
OCCURRED DUE TO AN INCREASING NUMBER OF VEHICLES USING UNI-BODY CONSTRUCTION,
SHORTER WHEELBASES AND INCREASED USE OF HIGHER TIRE PRESSURES.

THE DESIGN OF TWIN TUBE GAS CHARGED SHOCK ABSORBERS SOLVES MANY OF TODAYS RIDE
CONTROL PROBLEMS BY ADDING A LOW PRESSURE CHARGE OF NITROGEN GAS IN THE RESERVE
TUBE. THE PRESSURE OF THE NITROGEN IN THE RESERVE TUBE VARIES FROM 100 TO 150 PSI,
DEPENDING ON THE AMOUNT OF FLUID IN THE RESERVE TUBE. THE GAS SERVES SEVERAL
IMPORTANT FUNCTIONS TO IMPROVE THE RIDE CONTROL CHARACTERISTICS OF A SHOCK.

THE PRIME FUNCTION OF GAS CHARGING IS TO MINIMIZE AERATION OF THE HYDRAULIC FLUID. THE
PRESSURE OF THE NITROGEN GAS COMPRESSES AIR BUBBLES IN THE HYDRAULIC FLUID. THIS
PREVENTS THE OIL AND AIR FROM MIXING AND CREATING FOAM. FOAM AFFECTS PERFORMANCE
BECAUSE IT CAN BE COMPRESSED FLUID CAN NOT. WITH AERATION REDUCED, THE SHOCK IS ABLE
TO REACT FASTER AND MORE PREDICTABLY, ALLOWING FOR QUICKER RESPONSE TIME AND HELPING
KEEP THE TIRE FIRMLY PLANTED ON THE ROAD SURFACE.

AN ADDITIONAL BENEFIT OF GAS CHARGING IS THAT IT CREATES A MILD BOOST IN SPRING RATE TO
THE VEHICLE. THIS DOES NOT MEAN THAT A GAS CHARGED SHOCK WOULD RAISE THE VEHICLE UP
TO CORRECT RIDE HEIGHT IF THE SPRINGS WERE SAGGING. IT DOES HELP REDUCE BODY ROLL, SWAY,
BRAKE DIVE, AND ACCELERATION SQUAT.

THIS MILD BOOST IN SPRING RATE IS ALSO CAUSED BY THE DIFFERENCE IN THE SURFACE AREA
ABOVE AND BELOW THE PISTON. WITH GREATER SURFACE AREA BELOW THE PISTON THAN ABOVE,
MORE PRESSURIZED FLUID IS IN CONTACT WITH THIS SURFACE. THIS IS WHY A GAS CHARGED SHOCK
ABSORBER WILL EXTEND ON ITS OWN.

THE FINAL IMPORTANT FUNCTION OF THE GAS CHARGE IS TO ALLOW ENGINEERS GREATER
FLEXIBILITY IN VALVING DESIGN. IN THE PAST SUCH FACTORS AS DAMPING AND AERATION FORCED
COMPROMISES IN DESIGN.

ADVANTAGES:
IMPROVES HANDLING BY REDUCING ROLL, SWAY AND DIVE .

REDUCES AERATION OFFERING A GREATER RANGE OF CONTROL OVER A WIDER VARIETY OF ROAD
CONDITIONS AS COMPARED TO NON-GAS UNITS.

REDUCED FADE SHOCKS CAN LOSE DAMPING CAPABILITY AS THEY HEAT UP DURING USE. GAS
CHARGED SHOCKS COULD CUT THIS LOSS OF PERFORMANCE, CALLED FADE.

DISADVANTAGES:

CAN ONLY BE MOUNTED IN ONE DIRECTION.

CURRENT USES:

ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT ON MANY DOMESTIC PASSENGER CAR, SUV AND LIGHT TRUCK
APPLICATIONS.

TWIN TUBE PSD DESIGN

IN OUR EARLIER DISCUSSION OF HYDRAULIC SHOCK ABSORBERS WE DISCUSSED THAT IN THE PAST,
RIDE ENGINEERS HAD TO COMPROMISE BETWEEN SOFT VALVING AND FIRM VALVING. WITH SOFT
VALVING, THE FLUID FLOWS MORE EASILY. THE RESULT IS A SMOOTHER RIDE, BUT WITH POOR
HANDLING AND A LOT OF ROLL/SWAY. WHEN VALVING IS FIRM, FLUID FLOWS LESS EASILY.
HANDLING IS IMPROVED, BUT THE RIDE CAN BECOME HARSH.

WITH THE ADVENT OF GAS CHARGING, RIDE ENGINEERS WERE ABLE TO OPEN UP THE ORIFICE
CONTROLS OF THESE VALVES AND IMPROVE THE BALANCE BETWEEN COMFORT AND CONTROL
CAPABILITIES AVAILABLE IN TRADITIONAL VELOCITY SENSITIVE DAMPERS.

A LEAP BEYOND FLUID VELOCITY CONTROL IS AN ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY THAT TAKES INTO
ACCOUNT THE POSITION OF THE VALVE WITHIN THE PRESSURE TUBE. THIS IS CALLED POSITION
SENSITIVE DAMPING (PSD).

THE KEY TO THIS INNOVATION IS PRECISION TAPERED GROOVES IN THE PRESSURE TUBE. EVERY
APPLICATION IS INDIVIDUALLY TUNED, TAILORING THE LENGTH, DEPTH, AND TAPER OF THESE
GROOVES TO ENSURE OPTIMAL RIDE COMFORT AND ADDED CONTROL. THIS IN ESSENCE CREATES
TWO ZONES WITHIN THE PRESSURE TUBE.

THE FIRST ZONE, THE COMFORT ZONE, IS WHERE NORMAL DRIVING TAKES PLACE. IN THIS ZONE THE
PISTON TRAVEL REMAINS WITHIN THE LIMITS OF THE PRESSURE TUBES MID RANGE. THE TAPERED
GROOVES ALLOW HYDRAULIC FLUID TO PASS FREELY AROUND AND THROUGH THE PISTON DURING
ITS MIDRANGE TRAVEL. THIS ACTION REDUCES RESISTANCE ON THE PISTON, ASSURING A SMOOTH,
COMFORTABLE RIDE.

THE SECOND ZONE, THE CONTROL ZONE, IS UTILIZED DURING DEMANDING DRIVING SITUATIONS. IN
THIS ZONE THE PISTON TRAVELS OUT OF THE MID RANGE AREA OF THE PRESSURE TUBE AND
BEYOND THE GROOVES. THE ENTIRE FLUID FLOW IS DIRECTED THROUGH THE PISTON VALVING FOR
MORE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLES SUSPENSION. THE RESULT IS IMPROVED VEHICLE HANDLING AND
BETTER CONTROL WITHOUT SACRIFICING RIDE COMFORT.

ADVANTAGES:

ALLOWS RIDE ENGINEERS TO MOVE BEYOND SIMPLE VELOCITY SENSITIVE VALVING AND USE THE
POSITION OF THE PISTON TO FINE TUNE THE RIDE CHARACTERISTIC.

ADJUSTS MORE RAPIDLY TO CHANGING ROAD AND WEIGHT CONDITIONS THAN STANDARD SHOCK
ABSORBERS

TWO SHOCKS INTO ONE COMFORT AND CONTROL

DISADVANTAGES:

IF VEHICLE RIDE HEIGHT IS NOT WITHIN MANUFACTURERS SPECIFIED RANGE, PISTON TRAVEL MAY
BE LIMITED TO THE CONTROL ZONE.

CURRENT USES:

PRIMARILY AFTERMARKET UNDER THE SENSA-TRAC BRAND NAME.

TWIN TUBE ASD DESIGN

WE HAVE DISCUSSED THE COMPROMISES MADE BY RIDE ENGINEERS TO BRING COMFORT AND
CONTROL TOGETHER INTO ONE SHOCK ABSORBER. THIS COMPROMISE HAS BEEN SIGNIFICANTLY
REDUCED BY THE ADVENT OF GAS CHARGING AND POSITION SENSITIVE DAMPING TECHNOLOGY.

A NEW TWIST ON THE COMFORT/ CONTROL COMPROMISE IS AN INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY WHICH

PROVIDES GREATER CONTROL FOR HANDLING WHILE IMPROVING RIDE COMFORT CALLED
ACCELERATION SENSITIVE DAMPING (ASD).

THIS TECHNOLOGY MOVES BEYOND TRADITIONAL VELOCITY SENSITIVE DAMPING TO FOCUS AND
ADDRESS IMPACT. THIS FOCUS ON IMPACT IS ACHIEVED BY UTILIZING A NEW COMPRESSION VALVE
DESIGN. THIS COMPRESSION VALVE IS A MECHANICAL CLOSED LOOP SYSTEM, WHICH OPENS A
BYPASS TO FLUID FLOW AROUND THE COMPRESSION VALVE.

THIS NEW APPLICATION SPECIFIC DESIGN ALLOWS MINUTE CHANGES INSIDE THE PRESSURE TUBE
BASED ON INPUTS RECEIVED FROM THE ROAD. THE COMPRESSION VALVE WILL SENSE A BUMP IN
THE ROAD AND AUTOMATICALLY ADJUST THE SHOCK TO ABSORB THE IMPACT, LEAVING THE SHOCK
WITH GREATER CONTROL WHEN IT IS NEEDED.

ADVANTAGES:

CONTROL IS ENHANCED WITHOUT SACRIFICING DRIVER COMFORT.

VALVE AUTOMATICALLY ADJUSTS TO CHANGES IN THE ROAD CONDITION.

REDUCES RIDE HARSHNESS.

DISADVANTAGES:

LIMITED AVAILABILITY

CURRENT USES:

PRIMARILY AFTERMARKET APPLICATIONS UNDER THE REFLEX BRAND NAME.

MONO-TUBE DESIGN

THESE ARE HIGH-PRESSURE GAS SHOCKS WITH ONLY ONE TUBE, THE PRESSURE TUBE. INSIDE THE
PRESSURE TUBE THERE ARE TWO PISTONS: A DIVIDING PISTON AND A WORKING PISTON. THE
WORKING PISTON AND ROD ARE VERY SIMILAR TO THE TWIN TUBE SHOCK DESIGN. THE DIFFERENCE
IN ACTUAL APPLICATION IS THAT A MONO-TUBE SHOCK ABSORBER CAN BE MOUNTED UPSIDE
DOWN OR RIGHT SIDE UP AND WILL WORK EITHER WAY. IN ADDITION TO ITS MOUNTING
FLEXIBILITY, MONO-TUBE SHOCKS ARE A SIGNIFICANT COMPONENT, ALONG WITH THE SPRING, IN
SUPPORTING VEHICLE WEIGHT.

ANOTHER DIFFERENCE YOU MAY NOTICE IS THAT THE MONO-TUBE SHOCK ABSORBER DOES NOT
HAVE A BASE VALVE. INSTEAD, ALL OF THE CONTROL DURING COMPRESSION AND EXTENSION TAKES
PLACE AT THE PISTON.
THE PRESSURE TUBE OF THE MONO-TUBE DESIGN IS LARGER THAN A TWIN TUBE DESIGN TO
ACCOMMODATE FOR DEAD LENGTH. THIS HOWEVER MAKES IT DIFFICULT TO APPLY THIS DESIGN TO
PASSENGER CARS DESIGNED OE WITH A TWIN TUBE DESIGN. A FREE-FLOATING DIVIDING PISTON
TRAVELS IN THE LOWER END OF THE PRESSURE TUBE, SEPARATING THE GAS CHARGE AND THE OIL.

THE AREA BELOW THE DIVIDING PISTON IS PRESSURIZED TO ABOUT 360 PSI WITH NITROGEN GAS.
THIS HIGH GAS PRESSURE HELPS SUPPORT SOME OF THE VEHICLES WEIGHT. THE OIL IS LOCATED IN
THE AREA ABOVE THE DIVIDING PISTON.

DURING OPERATION, THE DIVIDING PISTON MOVES UP AND DOWN AS THE PISTON ROD MOVES IN
AND OUT OF THE SHOCK ABSORBER, KEEPING THE PRESSURE TUBE FULL ALL TIMES.

ADVANTAGES:

CAN BE MOUNTED UPSIDE DOWN, REDUCING THE UNSPRUNG WEIGHT

MAY RUN COOLER SINCE THE WORKING TUBE IS EXPOSED TO THE AIR

DISADVANTAGES:

DIFFICULT TO APPLY TO PASSENGER CARS DESIGNED OE WITH TWIN TUBE DESIGNS.

A DENT IN THE PRESSURE TUBE WILL DESTROY THE UNIT

CURRENT USES:

ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT MANY IMPORT AND PERFORMANCE DOMESTIC PASSENGER CARS, SUV AND
LIGHT TRUCK APPLICATIONS

AVAILABLE FOR MANY AFTERMARKET APPLICATIONS

THE MAGNETIC SHOCK ABSORBER

SHOCK ABSORBERS ARE A KEY COMPONENT OF ALL AUTOMOBILES. THEY CONTROL THE VEHICLES
SUSPENSION MOVEMENT TO PROVIDE A STABLE, COMFORTABLE RIDE. SINCE THEY WERE INSTALLED
ON THE FIRST AUTOMOBILES, THE PRINCIPLE OF SHOCK ABSORBER OPERATION HAS REMAINED
ESSENTIALLY THE SAME. NOW A NEW TYPE OF SHOCK ABSORBER IS ENTERING THE MARKET, AND IT
MAY CHANGE THE WAY SUSPENSIONS ARE CONTROLLED. THEY ARE CALLED THE MAGNETIC SHOCK
ABSORBERS OR THE NEW MAGNERIDE SHOCK SYSTEM.

MAGNETIC SHOCK ABSORBER IS A CONTINUOUSLY VARIABLE SHOCK ABSORBER THAT USES SIMPLE
MAGNETIC PRINCIPLES BUT VERY HIGH TECHNOLOGY TO CONTROL SUSPENSIONS.
CONVENTIONAL SHOCK ABSORBERS (OR STRUTS ON MANY CARS) USE OIL PASSING THROUGH
ORIFICES TO DAMPEN SUSPENSION MOVEMENT. WHEN A TIRE HITS A BUMP, THE SUSPENSION
MOVES UP, MOVING THE BODY OF THE SHOCK ABSORBER UP TOO. A ROD, CONNECTED TO THE TOP
OF THE SHOCK AND MOUNTED TO THE BODY OR FRAME, PASSES THROUGH A SEAL IN THE TOP OF
THE SHOCK AND HAS A PISTON MOUNTED ON THE BOTTOM END. THIS PISTON HAS SMALL PORTS IN
IT THAT ALLOW OIL CONTAINED IN THE SHOCK BODY TO FLOW FROM ONE SIDE OF THE PISTON TO
THE OTHER. DIFFERENT SIZE PORTS ALLOW DIFFERENT FLOW RATES, SO LARGER PORTS ALLOW THE
SUSPENSION TO MOVE EASIER AND SMALLER PORTS SLOW THE MOVEMENT.

CONVENTIONAL SHOCK ABSORBERS USE CHECK VALVES ON THE PORTS SO THAT FLUID CAN PASS
EASIER ONE WAY THAN THE OTHER. TYPICALLY, THE WHEEL IS ALLOWED TO MOVE UP QUICKLY, BUT
LET BACK DOWN SLOWER. THIS PREVENTS THE SUSPENSION FROM BOUNCING; THE EFFECT YOU GET
WHEN THE SHOCKS ARE BADLY WORN.

GAS-FILLED SHOCKS USE PRESSURE INSIDE THE SHOCK TO REDUCE OIL FOAMING AS IT PASSES
THROUGH THE PORTS. SUSPENSION CONTROL BECOMES VERY ERRATIC WITH FOAMY OIL INSIDE THE
SHOCK. VEHICLES WITH SELECTABLE SHOCK DAMPENING VARY THE SIZE OF PORTS BY TURNING A
SHAFT INSIDE THE PISTON ROD THAT CHANGES PORT SIZE TO CHANGE VEHICLE HANDLING.
MAGNETIC SHOCK ABSORBER MAKES MECHANICALLY VARIED SYSTEMS OBSOLETE.

THE HEART OF A MAGNETIC SHOCK ABSORBER OR MAGNERIDE IS THE MAGNETO-RHEOLOGICAL

(MR) FLUID. IT IS A SUSPENSION OF MAGNETICALLY SOFT PARTICLES SUCH AS IRON MICROSPHERES
IN A SYNTHETIC HYDROCARBON BASE FLUID. PLACE A MAGNET NEAR THE FLUID AND THE PARTICLES
FORM A FIBROUS STRUCTURE, INCREASING ITS SHEAR FACTOR. IN SIMPLE TERMS, THE FLUID GETS
THICKER SO IT DOESNT FLOW THROUGH THE SHOCKS PISTON PORTS AS EASY.

BY USING AN MAGNET PLACED IN THE SHOCK PISTON, THE MR FLUID ONLY CHANGES VISCOSITY
WHERE IT PASSES THROUGH THE PORTS. WIRES RUN DOWN THE HOLLOW PISTON ROD SO A
COMPUTER MODULE CAN VARY THE STRENGTH OF THE MAGNET AND THE DAMPENING OF THE
SHOCK CONTINUOUSLY. THE SYSTEM IS FIVE TIMES FASTER THAN MECHANICAL RIDE CONTROL
SYSTEMS.

IN FACT, THE SYSTEM IS SO QUICK, IT PERFORMS 1000 CALCULATIONS PER SECOND. THIS IS EQUAL
TO ONE CALCULATION FOR EVERY INCH OF VEHICLE TRAVEL AT 60 MILES PER HOUR. ELECTRO-
MAGNETIC SHOCK ABSORBERS CAN REACT TO EVERY LITTLE BUMP IN THE ROAD.

SEVERAL SENSORS PROVIDE INPUT TO THE MAGNERIDE COMPUTER. WHEEL TO BODY SENSORS ARE
USED AT EACH WHEEL TO DETERMINE WHEEL TRAVEL AND VERTICAL ACCELERATION. VEHICLE SPEED
AND OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE COME VIA DATA COMMUNICATION FROM OTHER VEHICLE
COMPUTERS. THE TEMPERATURE DATA IS USED SO THE COMPUTER CAN COMPENSATE FOR FLUID
VISCOSITY VARIATIONS DUE TO TEMPERATURE. MAGNERIDE ALSO IMPROVES VEHICLE STABILITY
CONTROL SYSTEMS AND USES A STEERING WHEEL ANGLE SENSOR, YAW RATE SENSOR AND LATERAL
ACCELERATION SENSOR FOR ACCURATE VEHICLE CONTROL.

FOR THE AUTO ENGINEERS, MAGNERIDE ALLOWS QUICKER CALIBRATION AND SUSPENSION TUNING
FOR NEW VEHICLES. FOR DRIVERS, MAGNERIDE OFFERS A FLATTER, SMOOTHER RIDE, ENHANCED
LATERAL AND LONGITUDINAL CONTROL OF BODY MOVEMENT, AND BETTER ROAD ISOLATION FROM
THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. WHILE MAGNERIDE HAS LIMITED AVAILABILITY NOW, I PREDICT
WE WILL SEE THIS FEATURE ON A WIDE RANGE OF AUTOMOBILES IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
THE NEW WAVE IN SHOCK ABSORBERS

OVER THE PAST TWO MODEL YEARS, GENERAL MOTORS (GM) HAS INTRODUCED ONE OF THE MOST
INTERESTING AND POTENTIALLY FAR-REACHING NEW TECHNOLOGIES EVER DEVELOPED FOR
AUTOMOBILES. THE CHEVROLET CORVETTE AND THE CADILLAC SRX, STS AND XLR MODELS ARE ALL
AVAILABLE WITH MAGNETIC RIDE CONTROL. CALLED MAGNERIDE BY ITS SUPPLIER DELPHI
AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, IT USES A COMPUTER TO ADJUST THE SHOCK ABSORBERS DAMPING RATE.
WHILE ELECTRONIC DAMPING ADJUSTMENT IS NOTHING NEW, THE SHOCK ABSORBERS THEMSELVES
ARE DIFFERENT FROM ANYTHING YOUVE SEEN BEFORE. INSTEAD OF ADJUSTABLE VALVES, THESE
SHOCKS HAVE ADJUSTABLE OIL.

A HYDRAULIC SHOCK ABSORBER DAMPENS SUSPENSION MOVEMENT BY FORCING A PISTON TO

MOVE THROUGH OIL. HOLES IN THE PISTON ARE COVERED BY SPRING-LOADED VALVES. THESE
VALVES SLOW THE FLOW OF OIL THROUGH THE HOLES TO CONTROL DAMPING RATE: THE SMALLER
THE VALVE OPENING, THE SLOWER THE OIL FLOW AND THE GREATER THE DAMPING. ADJUSTABLE
SHOCK ABSORBERS VARY THE SHOCKS DAMPING RATE BY VARYING THE SIZE OF THE VALVE
OPENING, EITHER BY ADJUSTING THE SPRING PRELOAD OR BY SELECTING A DIFFERENT SIZE OIL
FLOW ORIFICE. BY USING A SMALL MOTOR OR A SOLENOID TO OPERATE THE VALVE, DAMPING RATE
CAN BE ADJUSTED ON-THE-FLY BY THE DRIVER AND/OR BY THE COMPUTER.

EXACTLY THE SAME RESULTS CAN BE ACHIEVED BY VARYING THE VISCOSITY OF THE OIL INSTEAD OF
THE SIZE OF THE VALVE OPENING. THE TECHNOLOGY THAT ALLOWS CHANGING OIL VISCOSITY ON-
THE-FLY PRESENTS SOME EXCITING POSSIBILITIES THAT GO FAR BEYOND ADJUSTABLE SHOCK
ABSORBERS.

MAGNETO-RHEOLOGICAL FLUID

RHEOLOGY IS A SCIENCE THAT STUDIES THE DEFORMATION AND FLOW OF MATERIALS.

RHEOLOGICAL FLUIDS HAVE FLOW CHARACTERISTICS THAT CAN BE CHANGED IN A CONTROLLABLE
WAY USING ELECTRICAL CURRENT OR A MAGNETIC FIELD. DEPENDING ON THE BASE FLUID AND THE
STRENGTH OF THE ELECTRICAL CURRENT OR MAGNET, THE FLUIDS VISCOSITY CAN BE VARIED FROM
THINNER-THAN-WATER TO ALMOST-SOLID AND ANY STAGE IN BETWEEN. THE FLUIDS RESPONSE IS
INSTANTANEOUS, COMPLETELY REVERSIBLE AND EXTREMELY CONTROLLABLE, BUT THERE ARE SOME
LIMITS.

ELECTRO-RHEOLOGICAL (ER) FLUID CHANGES VISCOSITY WHEN AN ELECTRIC CURRENT IS APPLIED

DIRECTLY TO THE FLUID ITSELF. ER FLUID WAS FIRST INVENTED AND PATENTED IN THE 1940S, AND
TO VARYING DEGREES, DEVELOPMENT HAS CONTINUED EVER SINCE. IT HAS BEEN TESTED IN A WIDE
RANGE OF APPLICATIONS, FROM TORQUE CONVERTERS, CLUTCHES AND DAMPERS TO SYNTHETIC
MUSCLES AND DAMPERS IN POWERED PROSTHETIC ARMS AND LEGS. IT WORKS, BUT ITS SHEAR
STRENGTH THAT IS, ITS RESISTANCE TO SHEARING MOVEMENT IS LIMITED. DESPITE HUGE
INVESTMENTS IN RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, ER FLUID IS STILL FAR FROM READY FOR ANY
PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS.
MAGNETO-RHEOLOGICAL (MR) FLUID HAS A SHEAR STRENGTH ABOUT 10 TIMES STRONGER THAN ER
FLUID. INVENTED AT THE SAME TIME AS ER FLUID, THE TWO HAVE MANY SIMILARITIES. BOTH CAN
USE OIL, SILICONE, WATER OR GLYCOL AS THE BASE FLUID, AND BOTH CONTAIN POLARIZABLE
PARTICLES SUSPENDED IN THE FLUID. POLARIZABLE MEANS THE PARTICLES CAN BE FORCED TO
ALIGN IN A SPECIFIC WAY. THESE SUSPENDED POLARIZABLE PARTICLES ARE THE BASIC DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN ER AND MR FLUIDS. ER FLUID USES PARTICLES THAT POLARIZE WHEN DIRECTLY EXPOSED
TO AN ELECTRIC CURRENT. MR FLUID USES SOMEWHAT LARGER PARTICLES OF IRON THAT POLARIZE
WHEN SURROUNDED BY A MAGNETIC FIELD.

THE TYPICAL MR FLUID PARTICLES ARE SOFT IRON SPHERES MEASURING 3 TO 5 MICRONS (3 TO 5
THOUSANDTHS OF A MILLIMETER) IN DIAMETER. DEPENDING ON THE APPLICATION, THE FLUID WILL
BE 20 TO 40 PERCENT SATURATED WITH THE IRON PARTICLES, AND OTHER ADDITIVES WILL BE USED
TO CONTROL PARTICLE SETTLING AND MIXING, FLUID FRICTION AND FLUID VISCOSITY. SPECIFIC
GRAVITY IS GENERALLY BETWEEN 3 AND 4; FOR REFERENCE, WATERS SPECIFIC GRAVITY IS 1. THUS,
A 55-GALLON DRUM OF MR FLUID CAN WEIGH ALMOST A FULL TON. MR FLUIDS ARE DEVELOPED
SPECIFICALLY FOR THE APPLICATION. FOR INSTANCE, IN ADDITION TO AUTOMOTIVE USES, MR
FLUIDS HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED FOR USE IN DAMPERS THAT PROTECT BUILDINGS AND OTHER
STRUCTURES FROM EARTHQUAKE DAMAGE. THESE DAMPERS SIT STILL FOR LONG PERIODS, SO
DIFFERENT ADDITIVES ARE NEEDED TO KEEP THE PARTICLES IN SUSPENSION.

SHOCK ABSORBER VALVES

IT WASNT HARD TO DEVELOP A SYNTHETIC OIL-MR FLUID WITH VISCOSITY AND LUBRICATION
QUALITIES SIMILAR TO NORMAL HYDRAULIC SHOCK ABSORBER OIL. THE CHALLENGE WAS TO
DEVELOP SEALS, O-RINGS AND OTHER COMPONENTS THAT CAN WITHSTAND THE FLUIDS PARTICLE
CONTAMINATION, WHICH IS PART OF THE REASON ITS TAKEN SO LONG FOR MR FLUID TO ESCAPE
THE LABORATORY. ACCORDING TO DAVID CALDWELL, COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER FOR
PERFORMANCE CARS AT GM, THESE SHOCKS HAVE BEEN IN DEVELOPMENT FOR 20 YEARS. HE SAID
THEY WERE FIRST USED ON OPEN-WHEELED RACECARS, WHERE COST AND DURABILITY ARE NOT
QUITE AS CRITICAL AS IN PRODUCTION CARS. WORKING WITH LORD CORP., WHICH MANUFACTURES
THE MR FLUID, DELPHI HAS FINALLY DEVELOPED MR SHOCK ABSORBERS THAT ARE SUITABLE FOR
REAL-WORLD APPLICATIONS.

THE VALVE IN THE CENTER OF THE TUBE IS A BLOCK WITH OIL PASSAGES SURROUNDED BY AN
ELECTROMAGNET COIL.

THE MAGNETIC PARTICLES IN THE FLUID ALIGN WITH THE MAGNETIC FIELD WHEN THE MAGNET IS
TURNED ON. THE FLUID RESISTS FLOW PERPENDICULAR TO THE FIELD LINES JUST AS IF AN ORIFICE
PLUG WERE SUDDENLY INSERTED INTO THE PASSAGE.
WITH THE FLUID AND OTHER MATERIALS PROPERLY MATCHED, DEVELOPING THE VALVE ITSELF WAS
THE SIMPLEST PART OF THE SYSTEM. THERE ARE NO MOVING PARTS, JUST PASSAGES IN THE PISTON
THAT THE FLUID MOVES THROUGH. THE OIL PASSAGES ARE SURROUNDED BY AN ELECTRO-MAGNET;
IT IS BASICALLY A SOLENOID COIL WITHOUT THE VALVE CORE THAT GENERATES A MAGNETIC FIELD
WHEN CURRENT IS PASSED THROUGH IT. WHEN THE MAGNET IS TURNED ON, THE IRON PARTICLES
IN THE OIL PASSAGES ALIGN TO FORM FIBERS IN THE OIL, MAKING THE FLUID THICKER AND,
THEREFORE, RESISTANT TO FLOW. THE THICKNESS OR VISCOSITY OF THE FLUID CAN BE INFINITELY
ADJUSTED FROM THAT OF THE BASE OIL TO ALMOST PLASTIC IN LESS THAN TWO MILLISECONDS
SIMPLY BY ADJUSTING CURRENT FLOW THROUGH THE COIL. WHEN THE CURRENT IS TURNED OFF,
THE FLUID REVERTS TO ITS BASE VISCOSITY JUST AS QUICKLY. ONLY THE FLUID IN THE OIL PASSAGE IS
INVOLVED, SO THE MAGNETS COIL CAN BE SMALL ENOUGH TO RIDE ON THE PISTON ITSELF. THE
WIRES FROM THE COIL ARE ROUTED THROUGH THE PISTON ROD TO A CONNECTOR ON THE END OF
THE SHOCK HOUSING. THIS BASIC DESIGN IS CURRENTLY BEING USED IN LONG-HAUL TRUCK SEATS,
SHOCKS, STRUTS AND AIR-INFLATED LOAD-LEVELING SHOCKS.

CONTROL SYSTEM

BECAUSE ADJUSTABLE DAMPING HAS BEEN AROUND FOR A WHILE, ALL OF THE OTHER BITS AND
PIECES NEEDED FOR THE MAGNERIDE SYSTEM ARE ALREADY IN PLACE. THE CONTROL MODULE USES
SUSPENSION HEIGHT DATA SUPPLIED BY POSITION SENSORS AT EACH CORNER. WITH THROTTLE
POSITION SENSOR (TPS), TRANSMISSION AND WHEEL SPEED DATA SUPPLIED BY THE POWERTRAIN
CONTROL MODULE (PCM), THE SUSPENSION CONTROLLER CAN PREDICT LIFT AND DIVE AT EACH END
OF THE CAR AND OPERATE THE SHOCKS VALVES TO COUNTERACT IT. WITH DATA FROM A
STEERING WHEEL POSITION SENSOR, A TWO-PLANE ACCELERATION SENSOR AND A YAW RATE
SENSOR, THE SHOCKS CAN BE OPERATED AS NEEDED TO CONTROL BODY ROLL DURING ANY
MANEUVER. THE SYSTEM ALSO CHECKS BODY MOVEMENT DURING ANTILOCK BRAKE SYSTEM (ABS)
OPERATION USING VEHICLE SPEED, WHEEL SPEED AND OTHER DATA SUPPLIED BY THE ABS CONTROL
UNIT.

THE MAGNERIDE CONTROLLER ITSELF IS A STAND-ALONE UNIT EQUIPPED WITH TWO PARALLEL
PROCESSORS: ONE FOR INPUT SIGNALS AND ONE FOR OUTPUT. IT OPERATES THE SHOCKS ON 5
VOLTS DC THAT IS PULSE-WIDTH MODULATED TO ADJUST CURRENT TO THE MAGNETS. CURRENT
DRAW CAN SPIKE MOMENTARILY AT ABOUT 5 AMPS PER SHOCK, BUT NORMAL CURRENT DRAW IS
ABOUT HALF THAT MUCH, AND THERE IS ALWAYS SOME CURRENT FLOWING WHENEVER THE KEY IS
ON.

LIKE EARLIER VERSIONS, THIS IS A SEMI-ACTIVE SUSPENSION SYSTEM. IN ADDITION TO ITS MAIN
FUNCTION OF KEEPING THE WHEELS IN CONTACT WITH THE ROAD, IT CAN CHECK BODY MOTIONS
AND, WITHIN CERTAIN LIMITS, ADJUST WEIGHT BIAS AT EACH CORNER BY PREVENTING SUSPENSION
COMPRESSION. BUT IT IS A REACTIVE SYSTEM, NOT PROACTIVE, AND IT CANNOT EXTEND THE
SUSPENSION TO MAKE THE CAR LEAN INTO A TURN. STILL, IT PROVIDES A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF
INCREASED CONTROL WITH BASE SETTINGS THAT ARE TUNED FOR A MORE COMFORTABLE RIDE.
A PERMANENT MAGNET SYSTEM SHOCK ABSORBER

A PERMANENT MAGNETIC SUSPENSION APPARATUS FOR MAINTAINING A SPACED RELATIONSHIP

BETWEEN A FIRST MOVABLE MEMBER AND A SECOND FIXED MEMBER, WHEREIN THE MOTION OF
THE MOVABLE MEMBER REQUIRES DAMPENING, CUSHIONING, STABILIZING, HARMONIC
BALANCING, AND/ OR REFLEXIVE RE-CENTERING.

THE SUSPENSION APPARATUS INCLUDES A PLURALITY OF SETS OF PERMANENT MAGNETS LOCATED

WITHIN A CASE, WHICH IS COUPLED TO ONE OF THE MEMBERS. THE SETS OF PERMANENT MAGNETS
ARE COUPLED TO AN ELONGATED SUPPORT MEMBER, WHICH IS COUPLE TO THE SECOND MEMBER.
THE SUPPORT MEMBER EXTENDS WITHIN THE CASE, WITH THE SUPPORT MEMBER AND THE CASE
BEING ADAPTED FOR RELATIVE AXIAL MOVEMENT.

THE SETS OF PERMANENT MAGNETS ARE ARRANGED IN BIDIRECTIONAL REPULSION

CONFIGURATION WITH ADDITIONAL MAGNET FIXED WITHIN THE CASE. THE SETS OF PERMANENT
MAGNETS ARE BEING MOVED RELATIVE TO THE FIXED PERMANENT MAGNETS, SUCH THAT THE
MAGNETIC FORCES OF REPULSION PRODUCED BY THE PERMANENT MAGNETS ARE INCREASED IN
RESPONSE TO RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN THE SUPPORT MEMBER AND THE CASE, CREATING
DAMPENING, CUSHIONING, STABILIZING, HARMONIC BALANCING, AND/OR RE-CENTERING FORCES.

IN ONE EMBODIMENT, THE CONTROL MECHANISM IS COUPLED BETWEEN THE FRAME OF A VEHICLE
AND A WHEEL SUPPORT ASSEMBLY. THE PERMANENT MAGNETIC SUSPENSION APPARATUS,
HOWEVER, IS FOR USE WITH ANY TYPE OF EQUIPMENT OR MACHINERY HAVING A MOVABLE AND
NON-MOVABLE, OR FIXED, MEMBER. THIS INCLUDES, BUT IS NOT LIMITED TO, CARS, TRUCKS,
MOTORCYCLES, SCOOTERS, ALL TERRAIN VEHICLES, SEMI-TRACTORS, SEMI-TRAILERS, AND THE LIKE,
AS WELL AS, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, INDUSTRIAL EQUIPMENT AND MACHINERY, HOSPITAL AND
OFFICE MACHINERY AND EQUIPMENT, SUCH AS BEING COUPLED BETWEEN THE FRAME OF AN
OFFICE CHAIR AND THE CHAIR SEAT.
REGENERATIVE ELECTROMAGNETIC SHOCK ABSORBER

A REGENERATIVE ELECTROMAGNETIC SHOCK ABSORBER COMPRISING: A LINEAR ELECTROMAGNETIC

GENERATOR COMPRISED OF A CENTRAL MAGNET ARRAY ASSEMBLY COMPRISING A CENTRAL
MAGNET ARRAY COMPRISED OF A PLURALITY OF AXIALLY-ALIGNED, STACKED CYLINDRICAL
MAGNETS HAVING LIKE MAGNETIC POLES FACING ONE ANOTHER, A PLURALITY OF HIGH MAGNETIC
PERMEABILITY, HIGH SATURATION MAGNETIZATION, CENTRAI CYLINDRICAL SPACERS POSITIONED AT
EACH END OF SAID STACKED CENTRAL MAGNET ARRAY AND BETWEEN ADJACENT STACKED CENTRAL
MAGNETS, AND A MAGNET ARRAY SUPPORT FOR MOUNTING SAID MAGNETS AND SAID SPACERS;
AN INNER COIL ARRAY COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF CONCENTRIC CYLINDRICAL COIL WINDINGS
POSITIONED ADJACENT TO SAID CENTRAL SPACERS AND SAID MAGNETIC POLES OF SAID CENTRAL
MAGNETS, SAID INNER COIL WINDINGS SURROUNDING AN OUTSIDE PERIMETER OF SAID CENTRAL
SPACERS, SAID INNER COIL ARRAY MOUNTED ON A MOVABLE COIL SUPPORT, SAID MOVABLE COIL
SUPPORT PROVIDING FOR RECIPROCATING LINEAR MOTION OF SAID COIL ARRAY RELATIVE TO SAID
MAGNET ARRAY; AND AN OUTER MAGNET ARRAY ASSEMBLY COMPRISING AN OUTER MAGNET
ARRAY COMPRISED OF A PLURALITY OF AXIALLY-ALIGNED, STACKED CONCENTRIC TOROIDAL
MAGNETS HAVING LIKE MAGNETIC POLES FACING EACH OTHER, SAID OUTER MAGNET ARRAY
SURROUNDING SAID INNER COIL ARRAY, SAID STACKED OUTER CONCENTRIC MAGNETS BEING
ALIGNED AND POSITIONED ESSENTIALLY COPLANAR WITH SAID STACKED CENTRAL CYLINDRICAL
MAGNETS WITH THE MAGNETIC POLES OF SAID OUTER MAGNETS ALIGNED WITH AND FACING
OPPOSING MAGNETIC POLES OF SAID CENTRAL CYLINDRICAL MAGNETS, AND A PLURALITY OF HIGH
PERMEABILITY, HIGH SATURATION MAGNETIZATION, OUTER CONCENTRIC TOROIDAL SPACERS
POSITIONED AT EACH END OF SAID STACKED OUTER MAGNET ARRAY AND BETWEEN ADJACENT
STACKED OUTER MAGNETS, SAID OUTER MAGNET ARRAY ASSEMBLY ATTACHED TO SAID MAGNET
ARRAY SUPPORT; WHEREIN A PREDETERMINED LOCATION, CONFIGURATION AND ORIENTATION OF
SAID CENTRAL MAGNET MAGNETIC POLES, SAID CENTRAL SPACERS, SAID INNER COIL WINDINGS,
SAID OUTER MAGNET MAGNETIC POLES AND SAID OUTER SPACERS PROVIDE FOR SUPERPOSITION
OF A RADIAL COMPONENT OF A MAGNETIC FLUX DENSITY FROM A PLURALITY OF CENTRAL AND
OUTER MAGNETS TO PRODUCE A MAXIMUM AVERAGE RADIAL MAGNETIC FLUX DENSITY IN THE
INNER COIL WINDINGS; AND A VOLTAGE CONDITIONING CIRCUIT ELECTRICALLY CONNECTED TO SAID
COIL WINDINGS, SAID VOLTAGE CONDITIONING CIRCUIT PROVIDING AN OUTPUT VOLTAGE AND
OUTPUT CURRENT TO AN ELECTRICAL LOAD.

AN ELECTROMAGNETIC LINEAR GENERATOR AND REGENERATIVE ELECTROMAGNETIC SHOCK

ABSORBER IS DISCLOSED WHICH CONVERTS VARIABLE FREQUENCY, REPETITIVE INTERMITTENT
LINEAR DISPLACEMENT MOTION TO USEFUL ELECTRICAL POWER. THE INNOVATIVE DEVICE
PROVIDES FOR SUPERPOSITION OF RADIAL COMPONENTS OF THE MAGNETIC FLUX DENSITY FROM A
PLURALITY OF ADJACENT MAGNETS TO PRODUCE A MAXIMUM AVERAGE RADIAL MAGNETIC FLUX
DENSITY WITHIN A COIL WINDING ARRAY. DUE TO THE VECTOR SUPERPOSITION OF THE MAGNETIC
FIELDS AND MAGNETIC FLUX FROM A PLURALITY OF MAGNETS, A NEARLY FOUR-FOLD INCREASE IN
MAGNETIC FLUX DENSITY IS ACHIEVED OVER CONVENTIONAL ELECTROMAGNETIC GENERATOR
DESIGNS WITH A POTENTIAL SIXTEEN-FOLD INCREASE IN POWER GENERATING CAPACITY. AS A
REGENERATIVE SHOCK ABSORBER, THE DISCLOSED DEVICE IS CAPABLE OF CONVERTING PARASITIC
DISPLACEMENT MOTION AND VIBRATIONS ENCOUNTERED UNDER NORMAL URBAN DRIVING
CONDITIONS TO A USEFUL ELECTRICAL ENERGY FOR POWERING VEHICLES AND ACCESSORIES OR
CHARGING BATTERIES IN ELECTRIC AND FOSSIL FUEL POWERED VEHICLES. THE DISCLOSED DEVICE IS
CAPABLE OF HIGH POWER GENERATION CAPACITY AND ENERGY CONVERSION EFFICIENCY WITH
MINIMAL WEIGHT PENALTY FOR IMPROVED FUEL EFFICIENCY.

HOW IT WORKS

A CONVENTIONAL AUTOMOTIVE SHOCK ABSORBER DAMPENS SUSPENSION MOVEMENT TO

PRODUCE A CONTROLLED ACTION THAT KEEPS THE TIRE FIRMLY ON THE ROAD. THIS IS DONE BY
CONVERTING THE KINETIC ENERGY INTO HEAT ENERGY, WHICH IS THEN ABSORBED BY THE SHOCKS
OIL.

THE POWER-GENERATING SHOCK ABSORBER (PGSA) CONVERTS THIS KINETIC ENERGY INTO
ELECTRICITY INSTEAD OF HEAT THROUGH THE USE OF A LINEAR MOTION ELECTROMAGNETIC
SYSTEM (LMES). THE LMES USES A DENSE PERMANENT MAGNET STACK EMBEDDED IN THE MAIN
PISTON, A SWITCHABLE SERIES OF STATOR COIL WINDINGS, A RECTIFIER, AND AN ELECTRONIC
CONTROL SYSTEM TO MANAGE THE VARYING ELECTRICAL OUTPUT AND DAMPENING LOAD.

THE BOTTOM SHAFT OF THE PGSA MOUNTS TO THE MOVING SUSPENSION MEMBER AND FORCES
THE MAGNET STACK TO RECIPROCATE WITHIN THE ANNULAR ARRAY OF STATOR WINDINGS,
PRODUCING ALTERNATING CURRENT ELECTRICITY. THAT ELECTRICITY IS THEN CONVERTED INTO
DIRECT CURRENT THROUGH A FULL-WAVE RECTIFIER AND STORED IN THE VEHICLES BATTERIES.

THE ELECTRICITY GENERATED BY EACH PGSA CAN THEN BE COMBINED WITH ELECTRICITY FROM
OTHER POWER GENERATION SYSTEMS (E.G. REGENERATIVE BRAKING) AND STORED IN THE
VEHICLES BATTERIES.

MANUFACTURING CONSIDERATIONS

MANUFACTURE OF THE POWER-GENERATING SHOCK ABSORBER WILL REQUIRE A MACHINED MAIN

SHAFT WITH EMBEDDED PERMANENT MAGNET STACK, A STRONG AIR-GAP CYLINDER HOUSING,
HIGH QUALITY STATOR WINDINGS, AND ROBUST SLIDE BEARINGS. OTHER SYSTEMS, SUCH AS
MICROPROCESSOR-CONTROLLED VOLTAGE, CURRENT, AND DAMPENING REGULATION, EXTERNAL
CASING, PROTECTIVE BELLOWS, ETC. WILL ALSO NEED TO BE DESIGNED AND TESTED.
REFERENCES

WWW.HOWSTUFFWORKS.COM

WWW.MRFLUIDS.COM

WWW.POPULARMECHANICS.COM

EN.WIKIPEDIA.ORG

WWW.RESEARCHANDMARKETS.COM/REPORTS

WWW.SHOCKABSORBER.CO.UK

WWW.MINDBRANCH.COM

WWW.AUTOMOTIVE-ONLINE.COM/SUSPENSION-STEERING/SHOCK-ABSORBERS.HTM

WWW.CAR-STUFF.COM/MONROESHOCKS.HTM
Back EMF
Motors and generators are very similar. (Read our Atoms on "Electric Generators" and "Electric
Motors. ") Generators convert mechanical energy into electrical energy, whereas motors convert
electrical energy into mechanical energy. Furthermore, motors and generators have the same
construction. When the coil of a motor is turned, magnetic flux changes, and
an electromotive force (EMF), consistent with Faraday's law of induction, is induced. The motor thus acts
as a generator whenever its coil rotates. This will happen whether the shaft is turned by an external
input, like a belt drive, or by the action of the motor itself. That is, when a motor is doing work and its
shaft is turning, an EMF is generated. Lenz' law tells us the induced EMF opposes any change, so that
the input EMF that powers the motor will be opposed by the motor's self-generated EMF, called the
back EMF of the motor.
Eddy Current
As discussed in "Motional EMF," motional EMF is induced when a conductor moves in a magnetic
field or when a magnetic field moves relative to a conductor. If motional EMF can cause a current loop
in the conductor, we refer to that current as an eddy current. Eddy currents can produce significant
drag, called magnetic damping, on the motion involved.
Consider the apparatus shown in , which swings a pendulum bob between the poles of a strong
magnet. If the bob is metal, there is significant drag on the bob as it enters and leaves the field, quickly
damping the motion. If, however, the bob is a slotted metal plate, as shown in (b), there is a much
smaller effect due to the magnet. There is no discernible effect on a bob made of an insulator.

Device for Exploring Eddy Currents and Magnetic Damping

A common physics demonstration device for exploring eddy currents and magnetic
damping. (a) The motion of a metal pendulum bob swinging between the poles of a
magnet is quickly damped by the action of eddy currents. (b) There is little effect on
the motion of a slotted metal bob, implying that eddy currents are made less effective.
(c) There is also no magnetic damping on a nonconducting bob, since the eddy
currents are extremely small.

shows what happens to the metal plate as it enters and leaves the magnetic field. In both cases, it
experiences a force opposing its motion. As it enters from the left, flux increases, and so an eddy
current is set up (Faraday's law) in the counterclockwise direction (Lenz' law), as shown. Only the
right-hand side of the current loop is in the field, so that there is an unopposed force on it to the left
(right hand rule). When the metal plate is completely inside the field, there is no eddy current if the
field is uniform, since the flux remains constant in this region. But when the plate leaves the field on
the right, flux decreases, causing an eddy current in the clockwise direction that, again, experiences a
force to the left, further slowing the motion. A similar analysis of what happens when the plate swings
from the right toward the left shows that its motion is also damped when entering and leaving the field.

Conducting Plate Passing Between the Poles of a Magnet

A more detailed look at the conducting plate passing between the poles of a magnet.
As it enters and leaves the field, the change in flux produces an eddy current.
Magnetic force on the current loop opposes the motion. There is no current and no
magnetic drag when the plate is completely inside the uniform field.

When a slotted metal plate enters the field, as shown in , an EMF is induced by the change in flux, but
it is less effective because the slots limit the size of the current loops. Moreover, adjacent loops have
currents in opposite directions, and their effects cancel. When an insulating material is used, the eddy
current is extremely small, and so magnetic damping on insulators is negligible. If eddy currents are to
be avoided in conductors, then they can be slotted or constructed of thin layers of conducting material
separated by insulating sheets.

Eddy Currents Induced in a Slotted Metal Plate

 Eddy currents induced in a slotted metal plate entering a magnetic field form small
loops, and the forces on them tend to cancel, thereby making magnetic drag almost
zero.

Source: Boundless. Back EMF, Eddy Currents, and Magnetic Damping. Boundless Physics.
Boundless, 26 May. 2016. Retrieved 09 Nov. 2016
from https://www.boundless.com/physics/textbooks/boundless-physics-textbook/induction-ac-circuits-
and-electrical-technologies-22/magnetic-flux-induction-and-faraday-s-law-161/back-emf-eddy-
currents-and-magnetic-damping-571-8079/

How Do Magnetic Shocks Work?

Things in the automotive world usually move pretty slowly, and its rare that any one
manufacturer will completely catch everyone else out on a particular technology. But
when Skunkworks-silent engineering combines with excellent patent protection, the
result can be either an industry-wide revolution, a comedy of errors as others attempt
to catch up, or both.
Youngsters might take electronically adjustable dampers for granted today but it
wasnt long ago when a set of Edelbrock IAS shocks represented the pinnacle of
suspension control technology. Yes, back in that ancient era known as "the 1990s,"
the idea of electron-quick suspension response seemed the stuff of sci-fi pipe
dreams. But somewhere between Sliders and X-Files, a little American company
(previously known primarily for floaty, retiree-spec luxo barges) brought to the mass-
market a revolution in handling equipment.
That left the public speechless; partly in shock, but mostly because nobody could
figure out how to pronounce "magnetorheological dampers."

History
While discussing this article with my editor, I was explicitly forbidden from going into a
2,000-word history on the technology. Which, if youve read any tech article of mine,
youve probably noticed is kind of a running theme. Fortunately for all involved, there
isnt much history to write. Sort of.
Short story: Megnetorheological (MR) dampers were developed by General

Motors British subsidiary Delphi Automotive Systems

between 1997 and 1999. In 1999, Delphi went public and became an independent
entity, but GM and Delphi still maintained a close relationship, and GM maintained
rights to the technology.

Corvette enthusiasts will tell you that magnetic

suspension debuted on the 2003 Vette but theyre wrong. Cadillac got
"MagneRide" first, and offered it as an option (RPO F55) on Seville STS models built
after January 14th, 2002.

Sorry, gold-chainers; the golfers edged you out on

this one.

Its true that some of those were Cadillacs sold as

2003 models, but the 2003 Corvette didnt go into production until several months
later. So, Caddy did beat Chevy to market with
magnetic suspension. Sorry, gold-chainers; the golfers edged you out on this one.

A couple years later, Ferrari,

Audi and a few others licensed the technology from

GM, though Delphi still owned the patent.
Almost immediately afterward, Delphi came under investigation from the SEC for
"irregular accounting practices" (embezzlement), and filed Chapter 11. After closing a
bunch of plants and getting re-purchased by GM, Delphi eventually sold its
suspension and brake holdings off to the Chinese in 2009 for the fire-sale price of
$100 million.

Could they have been hiding in Howard Hughes'

secret stash of inventions for decades? Probably
not, but maybe.
 Now that BeijingWest owns the patent, GM and everyo ne else

pays China for use of a technology originally

developed in Britain with American money. Great job, Wall Street.
But, on a less depressing, more interesting and more historical note: its rumored that
the fluid that makes MR shocks work (or, more accurately the application for it) was
first envisioned by none other than billionaire genius-turned-lunatic Howard Hughes.
Theres actually some meat to that rumor: GM used to own Hughes Aircraft, which
through a series of splits and mergers with AC Delco eventually went on to spawn
Delphi in 1997.
It was the very next year that work began on MR dampers. Could they have been
hiding in Howard Hughes secret stash of inventions for decades? Probably not, but
maybe. Who knows how long it took to sort through all those used tissues and the
insane ramblings scrawled on them?
Speaking of insane ramblings history lesson over. On to the real article now.

Basic Shock Function

Before getting into how MR shocks work, it might help to know how regular shocks
work.
A hydraulic shock starts out pretty much like any other hydraulic ram, which
themselves work just like the hypodermic syringes youd find in any doctors office. A
syringe has three basic parts: the outer tube, a needle on the end, and a plunger to
push fluid out of the tube and through the needle.
Imagine what would happen if you took the needle off, plugged the hole and pushed
down on the plunger. At first, it wouldnt move. The liquid inside, being liquid, doesnt
compress. So no matter how hard you push on the plunger, its never going to move
because the fluid has nowhere to go. However, in the real world, if you push hard
enough on the plunger, fluid pressure will build up, and the fluid will start squeezing
out of the tiny gap between the rubber plunger and plastic tube.
Once that happens, the plunger will start moving, but will move very slowly. The fluid
in the tube can only leak out so fast. The plunger will go down faster if the fluid is thin
like water but replace that water with cold maple syrup, and the higher viscosity
syrup will come through the gap much slower. No matter how hard you press on it,
the maple syrup will always leak slower than the water. Increasing fluid viscosity like
this is one way to control the plungers "rate of compression."
 Another way to do it is to poke a hole in the rubber plunger with a needle. Now, with
a hole in the plunger, the fluid inside has somewhere to go when you press down.
The plunger compresses a lot faster, and using a great deal less force than before. If
you want it to go down even faster and easier, you can either make the needle-hole
in the plunger bigger, or you can poke more holes in it. This is the second method of
controlling the rate of compression by putting more and bigger holes in the
plunger.
Thats how almost all modern shock absorbers work. By forcing a thick-or-thin fluid to
flow through many small-or-large holes, the shock "dampens" the up-and-down
movement of the wheel. That keeps the car from endlessly bouncing like a rubber
ball every time you hit a bump. Functionally, the only difference between our
"plugged-off syringe" and a full-sized damper is that a damper has to work in both
directions. That is, compression and "rebound." For that reason, the top of our
"syringe" tube would be sealed off instead of open, and a seal on the plunger shaft
would keep it air-tight.
That creates a second chamber in the tube for fluid to flow into (the back side of the
plunger) after it goes through the plunger holes. Now, the damper works in both
directions, because fluid has to fight to get from one chamber to the other, and fight
to get back.
Generally, car dampers will use oil as a control fluid. Often very thin, equivalent to
0W-5 motor oil...but heavy-duty truck shocks might go up to something like a 90W
chain oil.

Control Strategies
A slower/firmer shock (smaller holes and/or thicker oil) provides a firm ride and better
handling; a softer/faster shock (bigger holes and thinner oil) makes for a softer ride at
the expense of more body bounce and roll. Ideally, what you want is a shock thats
soft and floaty on rough roads, but hard and firm when you want the car to handle on
smooth roads.
Adjustable shocks have been around for quite a while now but almost all of those
older designs relied on controlling the size of the holes in the plunger to moderate
fluid flow. Manually adjustable race coilovers use this approach, and so do older
auto-adjusting systems like those used on the 1996 Ford Taurus SHO.

The Taurus system was fairly advanced for its time,

and at least allowed the car two different settings for comfort or handling. For
hooligan fun, it also just happened to default to the small-orifice "hard" setting.
 Meaning, if you pulled the suspension control relay, the suspension would stay in full-
sporty mode all the time. Speaking from experience.

What you want is a shock that's soft and floaty on

rough roads, but hard and firm when you want the
car to handle on smooth roads.
But even this system was only debatably better than the aforementioned Edelbrock
Performer IAS. This shock used an inertia-sensitive valve that opened and closed the
plunger orifice holes depending on the road surface. On rough roads, the intertia
valve would keep the orifice holes big, and oil would flow through quickly. On smooth
roads, the inertia valve would settle down and close, this closing off the oil holes and
firming up the shock.
While this orifice-size control method works well, it does have two drawbacks. First,
even auto-adjusting systems like the inertia valve can only react to changes in road
condition so quickly. Hit a big pothole on an otherwise-smooth road, and you might
actually wind up breaking something, because the shock is in full hard mode.
Nevermind adjusting to tiny imperfections within 0.001 second; these mechanical-
orifice designs did well to respond to speed bumps within 0.1 second. The design is
just too slow and too blunt. Second, closing off the orifice too far to cope with fast,
hard-handling cycles (like a slalom course) could easily overheat the oil, causing it to
thin out and fail.
A better alternative, if it were possible, would be to use a fluid that could change its
"thickness" on demand. That way, you could use an adjustable orifice hole to make
big changes in handling settings, and vary the thickness of the fluid for smaller
adjustments. But where might we find such a miraculous liquid one that could be
thin as water one second, and thick as maple syrup the next?
Better yet: What if you could also get rid of the orifice-size-changing mechanism
completely, and go back to simple holes in the "plunger?" Turns out, this "miracle
fluid" has an app for that, too.

Magnetorheological Fluid
Memorize this line: "Magnetorheological fluid is a composite of ferritic nano-dipoles
suspended in a carrier fluid, which align themselves along lines of applied magnetic
flux to vary the yield stress of the whole."
In other words: Iron filings mixed with 10W oil.
Yes, its a pretty simple recipe, but "ferromagnetic" fluids like this can pull off some
pretty amazing tricks when magnets are nearby. Remember that grade-school
experiment where the teacher had you dump iron filings on a piece of paper with a
magnet under it? Same thing happens when you take those same filings and dump
them into oil. Its even capable of making some seriously creepy-beautiful "living"
sculptures when you play with the magnetic field strength.

In other words:Iron filings mixed with 10W oil.

 As you can see in the above video, the "ferrofluid" ("iron fluid") doesnt just flow in
one great lump. It follows the lines of magnetic force, resulting in interesting ripples
and peaks in the fluid. Note how it goes from water thin to fairly thick and hard in the
most magnetic areas.
Very simply, this is exactly how MR shocks work. Instead of pure oil, they contain
ferrofluid. An electromagnetic coil either wraps around the shock body (on older
designs) or its incorporated into the plunger head. Those electromagnets control the
"thickness" of the fluid as it passes through the holes in the plunger. The particles in
the fluid line up along the lines of magnetic force, and make for a kind of "plug" that
fights fluid flow and cause the fluid to act more like 90W chain oil than 10W motor oil.
In designs with magnetic coils integrated into the plunger, you get a second benefit.
Because more particles stick to the walls of the holes in the plunger, they basically
work to "narrow" the orifices. In this way, you get the double-action effect of variable-
viscosity fluid and adjustable orifice size. This design (which youll find on many
modern systems) gives the shock a huge range of softness and stiffness. And
because its just iron particles and magnets, this type of MR shock can make those
enormous changes very quickly.

Pros And Cons

Aside from the fact that these systems are expensive, there arent any real
drawbacks. They do everything traditional self-adjusting shocks do, but faster, better
and preemptively.

They do everything traditional self-adjusting shocks

do, but faster, better and preemptively.
As though millisecond response to changes in road condition and handling demands
werent good enough, most electronic suspensions dont even wait that long to react.
With the right combination of sensors and computers, MR suspensions can detect
road conditions, steering, brake and accelerator inputs, and harden or soften before
mechanical force even gets to them.
That works very well for reducing squat and nose-dive under acceleration and
braking, and body roll when you turn the steering wheel. For instance, when you turn
the wheel to the right at high speed, the computer knows to firm up your left-side
dampers in order to keep the body flat and level.
But its in the smaller motions where the control computer does its most impressive
work.
For instance, say youre on a smooth road, and hit an expansion joint. The front
wheel sensors will detect motion, and the computer will soften the shocks before that
expansion joint has even made it from one end of the tire contact patch to the other.
After the crack is passed, the suspension will immediately harden again. Thats a
neat trick, but not as neat as the one it pulls with the rear tires.
 Engineers now have the freedom to design
suspension systems without compromise between
handling and ride.
Having seen the expansion joint coming, the suspension computer will automatically
soften the rear shocks just before those tires hit the expansion joint. By the time the
joint gets there, the rear tires are already prepared for it, and the computer knows
exactly how long to leave their dampers in soft mode.
Pretty sweet but it does always leave the front tires at a slight disadvantage. They
have no way of knowing if that expansion joint, pothole or road reflector is coming
before they hit them. Unless, that is, you install a sonar, radar or optical laser sensor
under the front bumper, as some high-end manufacturers are wont to do these days.
The sensor sees road imperfections coming before they even hit your tires, giving the
front suspension a chance to calculate and execute the appropriate response.
These sensors can also serve double duty in assisting the stability control system, or
in detecting rain, snow or loose dirt and gravel. Each of these require different
suspension, ABS, stability- and traction-control system strategies all of which the
computer can alter at a moments notice using information from its road-surface
sensors.
All of this has given engineers the freedom to design better suspension systems
without relying on full-race geometry, rock-hard springs and super-stiff roll-bars to
maintain handling. Its also allowed 21st century luxury cars to deliver a cloud-like
rides to rival the best of any Rolls Royce, while turning out handling numbers that
would have been unthinkable for any 20th century sedan.

Summary
If youre old enough to remember the 1990s welcome to the future. No, we dont
have flying cars yet, but we do have cars capable of flying over any road, any time,
while delivering safety, comfort and handling prowess in equal abundance.
This, brought to you by General Motors, a fluid nobody can pronounce, and Howard
Hughes.
Maybe.