Experimental research on shock absorbers of light vehicles

Abstract

Zero fatalities in road transport and overall traffic safety is one of the most important common goals of the society, industry and academia. To achieve this goal, various researches in different fields, from the analysis of the materials and designs to the development of autonomous ground vehicles, are being done. Respectively, vehicle suspension and shock absorbers are essential elements, which significantly contribute to the oscillations of sprung and unsprung masses, also to the handling and braking characteristics of a vehicle, i.e. they affect the safety of the vehicle. Due to this reason, in this work, an experimental research on the condition of the shock absorbers of light vehicles, when applying the original research methodology, is presented. The performed experimental research is based on two stages. Firstly, the condition of the shock absorbers of the researched vehicles was determined by using a shock absorber test stand. Secondly, equipment was installed in the test vehicles, which measures the vertical acceleration values of the vehicle body, when it drives over an obstacle at low velocities. Based on the performed analysis of the experimental results, vertical acceleration values of the sprung masses of vehicles were indicated, which allows to simply and effectively evaluate the condition of the vehicle shock absorber, without a complex investigation of the shock absorber.