AUTOMATIC AIR SUSPENSION

A
SEMINAR REPROT
ON

“AUTOMATIC AIR SUSPENSION”

By
PRASHANT RAI
Enrollment no:
09ME000682

in partial fulfillment for the award of the degree

of
BACHELOR OF TECHNOLOGY
in
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

Department of Mechanical engineering

School of engineering
Sir Padamapat Singhania University
Udaipur
India
MAY 2013

Page 01
 AUTOMATIC AIR SUSPENSION

TABLE OF CONTENT
Chapter No. TITLE Page No.

ABSTRACT 6
LIST OF FIGURES 5

1. INTRODUCTION TO AIR SUSPENSION 7

1.1 Preface 7
1.2 Suspension System 7
1.2.1 Introduction to suspension system 7
1.2.2 Objective of suspension system 9

2. PROBLEM DEFINITION 10
2.1 General Problem Without suspension 10
2.2 Problem in spring suspension 10

3. LITERATURE REVIEW 11
3.1 Leaf spring 11
3.2 Air Spring 12
3.3 Air Suspension 13

4. BASIC AIR SUSPENSION 14

4.1 What is an air suspension? 14
4.2 Components of air suspension 15
4.2.1 The Air Supply 15
4.2.2 Air Bags 16
4.2.3 Height Control Valve 16
4.3 How the Air Suspension Functions 18
4.4 Advantages 19

5. CONCLUSION 21
6. REFERENCES 22

Page 02
 AUTOMATIC AIR SUSPENSION

SIR PADAMPAT SINGHANIA UNIVERSITY

UDAIPUR - 313 601

BONAFIDE CERTIFICATE

Certified that this technical seminar report “AUTOMATIC AIR SUSPENSION”

Is the bonafide work of “PRASHANT RAI” Who carried out the project work

Under my supervision.

SIGNATURE SIGNATURE
(Mr. Naveen Kumar) (Mr. T Goverdhan)
HEAD OF THE DEPARTMENT SUPERVISOR
Mechanical Engg. Mechanical Engg.
Sir Padampat Singhania University, Sir Padampat Singhania University,
Bhatewar, Udaipur Bhatewar, Udaipur

SIGNATURE
Dr. Achintya Choudhary
DEAN
SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING
Sir Padampat Singhania University,
Bhatewar, Udaipur

Page 03
 AUTOMATIC AIR SUSPENSION

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I am very thankful to everyone who all supported me, for that i have completed my project
effectively and moreover on time. I am equally grateful to my mentor Mr. T. Goverdhan. He
gave me the moral support and guided me in different matters regarding the topic. He had been
very kind and patient while suggesting the outlines of this project and correcting my doubts. I
thank him for his overall supports. I would also like to thank Mr. Naveen kumar(HEAD OF
DEPARTMENT,Mechanical) and the university for providing me the opportunity to work on
such an innovative project.
I also express my gratitude towards the complete mechanical department for providing me with
such a bright opportunity to enhance my knowledge, skill and apply whatever i have learnt.
Last but not the least, I would like to thank my parents who helped me a lot in gathering different
information, collecting data and guiding me from time to time in making this project. Despite of
their busy schedules, they gave me different ideas in making this project unique.

Thank You

Prashant Rai
09ME000682

VIIIth semester,
Mechanical Engineering

Page 04
 AUTOMATIC AIR SUSPENSION

List of Figures

Sr. No. Page No.

Fig 1 8
Fig 2 12
Fig 3 13
Fig 4 14
Fig 5 15
Fig 6 17
Fig 7 18
Fig 8 19
Fig 9 20

Page 05
 AUTOMATIC AIR SUSPENSION

ABSTRACT

Air ride suspension carries the load on each axle with a pressurized air bag
much like a high pressure balloon. Air ride suspension systems have been in
common use for over forty years and have proven to provide the smoothest and
most shock-free ride of any known vehicle suspension system. Modern air bags are
constructed using the same methods as a tire by using high strength cords which
are then encapsulated in rubber. These units are very durable in service and have a
proven life of many years.

In addition to providing extremely smooth ride quality, air ride suspension

also provides other important features. First, the system automatically adjusts air
pressure in the air bag so that the trailer always rides at the same height, whether
lightly loaded or heavily loaded. This allows the suspension system to always
provide the maximum usable wheel travel independent of trailer load. In addition,
the higher air bag pressure associated with higher trailer loads, automatically
provides a stiffer suspension which is exactly what is required for a smooth ride.
The lower air bag pressure for lightly loaded conditions, automatically provides for
a softer suspension, thus providing the same ride quality for all trailer loading
conditions. Since each axle is independently supported by its own air bag, the air
ride suspension is a truly, fully independent suspension system.

The automatic control of the air bag pressure is accomplished by a solid

state electronic control system specifically designed and packaged for vehicle use.
This system continuously monitors the "ride height" of the trailer suspension and
increases air pressure if the ride height is too low, by turning on an on-board air
compressor. The air compressor stops automatically when the proper ride height is
reached. If the ride height is too high, an automatic vent valve vents excess air
pressure and stops venting when the proper ride height is reached. All required
electrical power is provided by a 12 volt battery contained in the trailer equipment
compartment

Page 06
 AUTOMATIC AIR SUSPENSION

Chapter-1

INTRODUCTION TO AIR SUSPENSIONS

1.1 Preface

It is important to understand air suspensions because there is a direct

interaction between the air suspension and the leveling of a vehicle. In fact, there
are leveling systems available that use the vehicle air suspension to do the
leveling. The HWH Active Air system actually controls the air suspension of a
vehicle while the vehicle is traveling. You must understand the air suspension
before dealing with our systems that are installed on vehicles with an air
suspension.
At this time it is important to note that the following discussions are generic in
nature. There are many different types and manufacturers of air suspensions and
many different ways they are put together. Even different chassis’s built by the
same manufacturer can be different in some ways. There are different air bag, air
tank and valve arrangements. When dealing with suspension issues, it is critical
that you obtain plumbing and wiring diagrams for the specific chassis that you are
working on.

1.2 Suspension system:

1.2.1 Introduction of Suspension system

Suspension is the term given to the system of springs, shock absorbers and
linkages that connects a vehicle to its wheels. Suspension systems serve a dual
purpose — contributing to the car's road holding handling and braking for good
active safety and driving pleasure, and keeping vehicle occupants comfortable and
reasonably well isolated from road noise, bumps, and vibrations, etc. These goals
are generally at odds, so the tuning of suspensions involves finding the right
compromise. It is important for the suspension to keep the road wheel in contact
with the road surface as much as possible, because all the forces acting on the
vehicle do so through the contact patches of the tires. The suspension also protects
the vehicle itself and any cargo or luggage from damage and wear. The design of
front and rear suspension of a car may be different.

Page 07
 AUTOMATIC AIR SUSPENSION

Figure 1: Locating Suspension Units

A suspension system comprises springs, shock absorbers and linkages. This

suspension connects an automobile to its wheels. The suspension systems not only
help in the proper functioning of the car's handling and braking, but also keep
vehicle occupants comfortable and make your drive smooth and pleasant. It also
protects the vehicle from wear and tear. To know about the suspension system, one
needs to know about the spring rate or suspension rate. Various spring types are
used for different vehicles. In case of heavier suspension loads, the spring rate is
higher and vice versa. Spring rate is measured as a ratio used to measure how
resistant a spring is to being compressed or expanded during the spring's deflection
Besides spring rate, one needs to take in account the wheel rate. Wheel rate is the
effective spring rate when measured at the wheel. It is generally equal to or
considerably less than the spring rate.

There are two types of suspension systems- dependent and independent. A

dependent suspension comprises a beam that holds wheels parallel to each other
and perpendicular to the axle. An independent suspension helps in the rising and
falling movement of the wheels. There is also a semi-dependent suspension where

Page 08
 AUTOMATIC AIR SUSPENSION

the motion of one wheel affects the position of the other but they are not rigidly
attached to each other.

The dependent suspension includes Trailing arms, Satchell link, Panhard

rod, Watt's linkage, WOBLink and Mumford linkage. The independent
suspensions includes Swing axle, Sliding pillar, MacPherson strut/Chapman strut,
Upper and lower A-arm (double wishbone), multi-link suspension, semi-trailing
arm suspension, swinging arm and leaf springs.

1.2.2 Objectives of Suspension system:

1. A suspension system prevents road shocks from being transmitted to the
vehicle, its inmates and the automotive components.
2. It helps to protect and safeguard the inmates of the vehicles on sub-
terranean and difficult road terrains.
3. The suspension system plays a crucial role in vehicle handling, vehicle
dynamics and adds to the stability of the vehicle while it is running,
pitching or rolling.

Page 09
 AUTOMATIC AIR SUSPENSION

Chapter 2

PROBLEM DEFINITION
2.1 General Problems without Suspension:

 Unspring Weight
Having a large beam connecting the two front wheels results in a lot of mass.
This extra mass really hinders the road holding capability of the suspension
on rough road.
 Wheel Movement
Because both wheels are tied together the force acting on each wheel are
directed to the other wheel. Under the load this cause the wheels to‘Shimmy’
and decrease the stability of the vehicle in corners
 Bad Bump Steer
Because a beam axle makes locating the steering correctly difficult , most
solid axle suspensions suffer from an uncontrollable amount of bump steer .
Again, hindering the performance of the car.
 Size
Simply put solid axle are huge and fitting them into a chassis requires an
amount of space practically available.
 Ride Quality
Due to the high mass of the axle and the wheels being connected there is not
much ride isolation between the springs and unsprung mass. This results in
rough ride and even worse, compromised road holding capacity.

2.2 Problems in Spring Suspension:

The conventional metal springs faced some drawbacks which were air suspension
system overcomes and so they are preferred and used in more these days. Let's see
some of the plus points of this system.
1) The automatic control devices installed in the vehicle allows making optimum
use of the variable space for deflection of wheel.
2) The height of the automobile remains steady and so the changes in the
alignment of headlamp due to varying loads are restricted.
3) It helps to reduce the load while the vehicle in motion .

Page 010
 AUTOMATIC AIR SUSPENSION

Chapter 3

LITERATURE REVIEW

On a summer day in 1904 a young man by the name of William Brush

helped bring about the modern automobile suspension system. Driving his brother
Alanson's Crestmobile, Brush was rolling along too fast for the unpaved roads of
the day and went into a curve at 30 mph. The car's right front wheel skittered onto
the dirt shoulder and whammed into a deep rut. Almost at once, the wheel started
to shimmy violently. The undulations of the jarred right front elliptic leaf spring
had sent shock waves across the solid I-beam axle to the left side of the vehicle.
This set the entire front of the car to vibrating furiously. Brush was caught
unawares and lost control. The car crashed through a barbed-wire fence, hit a ditch
and overturned in a cow pasture.

Several hours later young William 'fessed up to Alanson, whose demeanor

switched from stern to thoughtful, since he was trying to design a better car. That
car, dubbed the Brush Two-Seat Runabout, finally appeared in 1906. It featured a
revolutionary suspension system that incorporated two innovations never before
assembled together: front coil springs and devices at each wheel that dampened
spring bounce -- shock absorbers -- mounted on a flexible hickory axle.

Some European car makers had tried coil springs, with Gottlieb Daimler in
Germany being the leading exponent. However, most manufacturers stood fast
with leaf springs. They were less costly, and by simply adding leaves or changing
the shape from full elliptic to three-quarter or half elliptic, the spring could be
made to support varying weights.

3.1 Leaf Spring

Leaf springs in one form or another have been used since the Romans
suspended a two-wheeled vehicle called a Pilentum on elastic wooden poles. The
first steel spring put on a vehicle was a single flat plate installed on carriages by
the French in the 18th century.

The venerable leaf spring, which some manufacturers still use in rear
suspensions today, was invented by Obadiah Elliot of London in 1804. He simply
piled one steel plate on top of another, pinned them together and shackled each end
to a carriage.

Page 011
 AUTOMATIC AIR SUSPENSION

The coil spring is not a spring chicken, either. The first patent for such a
spring (British patent No. 792) was issued to R. Tredwell in 1763. The main
advantage of coil springs was that they did not have to be spread apart and
lubricated periodically to keep them from squeaking, as leaf springs did.

Figure 2 :Model T Ford leaf spring

Henry Ford's 1908 Model T Ford featured old-fashioned leaf springs with a novel
twist -- he used only one spring at each axle, mounted transversely, instead of one
at each wheel. Ford's adaptation of high-strength vanadium steel from a French
racing car allowed him to save weight and cut costs in many areas of the Model T
without compromising its durability.

With the exception of a car here and there, independent coil spring front
suspension remained in limbo for 25 years after the introduction of the Brush
Runabout. Then suddenly in 1934, General Motors, Chrysler, Hudson, and others
reintroduced coil spring front suspension, this time with each wheel sprung
independently. In that year, most cars started using hydraulic shock absorbers and
balloon (low-pressure) tires. Coupling a solid front axle with shock absorbers and
these tires really aggravated front end shimmy. Suspending each wheel
individually lessened the effects of spring bounce.

3.2 Air Spring

Air springs combine spring and shock absorbing action in one unit and were
often used without metal springs. The first one was developed by Cowey Motor
Works of Great Britain in 1909. It was a cylinder that could be filled with air from

Page 012
 AUTOMATIC AIR SUSPENSION

a bicycle pump through a valve in the upper part of the housing. The lower half of
the cylinder contained a diaphragm made of rubber and cord which, because it was
surrounded by air, acted like a pneumatic tire. Its main problem was that it often
lost air.

The newest air spring, developed by Goodyear, is found on some late-model

Lincolns. Like the ones that have preceded them, these ride-on-air units are more
costly than conventional springs and hydraulic shock absorbers.

3.3 Air Suspension

Air suspension, which Lincoln ballyhooed for some models in 1984 was
introduced in 1909 by the Cowey Motor Works of Great Britain. It did not work
well because it leaked.

Figure 3: Stout-Scarab

The first practical air suspension was developed by Firestone in 1933 for an
experimental car called the Stout-Scarab. This was a rear-engined vehicle that used
four rubberized bellows in place of conventional springs. Air was supplied by
small compressors attached to each bellow. As you might imagine, the air bag
suspension was an expensive setup -- still is, in fact.

The first automobile to use torsion bar suspension was the 1921 Leyland.
Most of the credit for the wide acceptance of torsion bars in Europe goes to Dr.
Ferdinand Porsche who made it standard on most of his cars, beginning with the
1933 Volkswagen prototypes. By 1954, 21 makes of European cars were equipped
with torsion bars.

Page 013
 AUTOMATIC AIR SUSPENSION

Chapter-4

BASIC AIR SUSPENSION

4.1 What is an air suspension?

‘The air suspension system is an air-operated, microprocessor controlled

suspension system. This system replaces the conventional coil spring suspension
and provides automatic front and rear load leveling. The 4 air springs, made of
rubber and plastic, support the vehicle load at the front and rear wheels’.
An air suspension supports the vehicle on the axles with an arrangement of air
bags instead of some type of steel spring, leaf or coil, or some type of torsion
spring arrangement. The air bags are sometimes referred to as air springs or
bellows. Suspensions that have steel or torsion springs that are supplemented by
the use of air bags are not considered air suspensions. There are combination
systems that have both air and steel springs. Usually the air suspension components
are used on the rear of the vehicle.

Figure 4: Advanced Air Suspension

Depending on the situation, this type of air suspension will probably have to be
dealt with for leveling purposes. Normally, the air suspension is just one part of the
air system on the vehicle. Most (but not all) vehicle with an air suspension also
have air brakes along with other equipment that
may be operated with air. Any of these other systems can cause problems with the
air suspension. Other air systems including the brake systems in general, will not
be discussed in this school. It is important to understand that on vehicles with air

Page 014
 AUTOMATIC AIR SUSPENSION

systems, especially with air brakes, manufacturers must follow specific regulations
when designing their air systems. The brake system will always be the main
concern for the air system. There will be safety features installed in the system that
make the brake system the main priority for the air system.

4.2 Components of the air suspension

An air suspension has three basic components. The air supply, the air bags and
the height control valves. As stated before, there are many different types of these
components and different arrangements of how these components are used. In the
following section, we will discuss several different arrangements of these
components but this is by no means a complete discussion of all of the possible
arrangements.

Figure 5: Components of air suspension

4.2.1 The air supply.

The air supply is engine air compressor, the air tanks, air valves and air
lines. The engine air compressor supplies air for every piece of air equipment on
the vehicle. The maximum pressure supplied by the compressor varies. For many
years, the air supply was maintained around 120 to 125 psi but on some newer,
larger vehicles this has been increased to 135 psi. There will be dash gauges that
will supply system pressure information but all vehicles have what we refer to as a

Page 015
 AUTOMATIC AIR SUSPENSION

“pop off valve”. You can hear the valve “pop off” when the system reaches the
maximum air pressure.
The air supply is maintained through an arrangement of air tanks. Air tank
arrangement is one thing that varies greatly between different air systems. I have
seen systems with one tank that has primary and secondary compartments built in,
and systems with some type of main, secondary or auxiliary tank for every
component of the system, as many as 10 to 12 different tanks. The terminology for
these tanks varies greatly also. There are primary tanks, secondary tanks, wet
tanks, auxiliary tanks, front brake tanks, rear brake tanks and ping tanks to name
some of them. No mater how many there are or what they are called, they all do
basically the same thing, they store air for the different systems on the vehicle.

4.2.2 Air bags

Air bags are simply a rubber bladder that holds air. Air bags are also referred
to as air springs or bellows. The air bags are located between the frame of the
vehicle and the vehicle axles. Air bags are rated for weight and pressure capacities.
Air bag placement and arrangements vary amongst chassis manufacturers. At the
very least, there will be one air bag for each side of each axle in the vehicle. There
can be two air bags for each side of the axles but I have never seen a tag axle with
more that one bag per side. Some manufacturers use two air bags for each side of
the drive axle and some use two air bags for each side of the drive and front axles.
Space between air bags for side to side placement also varies. Some place the air
bags outboard as far as they can and some have the bags closer together. When two
bags per side are used, one will be in front of the axle and the other behind the
axle. Again, spacing can vary. Most air bags will have some device such as a cone
that keeps the air bag from being crushed or damaged when fully deflated.
Inflating air bags is limited to the available air pressure to the suspension system.
This is why the relief setting of the engine air compressor should not be changed.

4.2.3 Height control valves

The height control valves (HCV from now on) are kind of the brains of the
system. They dictate how much air is in the air bags. This dictates the height the
vehicle sits at, thus, Height Control Valve. Most HCVs are mechanical valves but
electronic HCVs are available. The HCV is mounted to the frame of the vehicle.

Page 016
 AUTOMATIC AIR SUSPENSION

Figure 6:Air Bag System

An L shaped linkage attaches the HCV to the axle. As the axle moves up and down
in relationship to the frame, the linkage moves the valve or electronic mechanism.
With mechanical valves, there is an air line from the air supply to the HCV. There
is an air line from the HCV to the air bag or bags+ that it controls. The HCV also
has an exhaust port. When the connecting linkage moves up, the HCV connects the
air supply to the air bag(s), inflating the bag(s). When the connecting linkage
moves down, the HCV connects the air bag(s) to the exhaust port, deflating the
bag(s). This controls the height of the vehicle.
If the HCV is electronic, as the linkage moves, the sensors in the HCV send
information to an electronic control. These controls will open or close air solenoid
valves as needed to inflate or deflate the bags. There are two basic styles of
mechanical HCVs, the instant response valve (IR valve) and the delay valve. These
names are accurate descriptions of how the valves react. The IR valve will start to
inflate or deflate the air bags as soon as the valve activating lever moves. The
delay valve has a slight delay when the activating lever moves before inflating or
deflating the air bags. The number and arrangement of HCVs used on a suspension

Page 017
 AUTOMATIC AIR SUSPENSION

Figure 7: Height Control Valve

varies a little. There are normally three HCVs used on a suspension. Either there is
one for the front axle and two for the rear, (most common arrangement) or some
use two on the front axle and one on the rear. A few chassis have been done with
one HCV for each side of the front and rear axles, a total of four, but this would
not be very common. Vehicles with a tag axle use regulated air or tie the tag air
bags to the driver air bags to control the tag air bags. Although it may be done, I
know of no one using HCVs to control the tag axle air bags.

4.3 How the air suspension functions

The vehicle is supported on the frame with an arrangement of airbags. The vehicle
air system, engine air compressor, tanks, lines, etc., supplies air to the height
control valves (HCV) mounted to the frame of the vehicle. The height control
valves are connected to the air bags with an air line. The linkage which connects
the HCVs to the axles rotates the HCV valving as it moves up and down. When
weight is added to the vehicle or transferred through the suspension of the vehicle,
the air in the air bag(s) is compressed, the frame moves closer to the axle. This
forces the HCV linkage up. As the linkage moves up, the valving of the HCV
connects the air supply to the air bag(s). The added pressure and volume inflates
the air bag(s), causing the frame to move away from the axle. As the frame moves
back to the proper ride height, the HCV linkage moves to the neutral position. This
moves the valving away from the air supply and locks the air in the air bag to
maintain the proper ride height. As weight is removed from the vehicle or the
suspension shifts weight away, the existing pressure in the air bag(s) can push the
frame away from the axle. The HCV linkage is pulled down. This connects the air
bag(s) to the HCV exhaust port. As air is exhausted from the air bag(s), the frame

Page 018
 AUTOMATIC AIR SUSPENSION

lowers back down towards the axle. As the linkage moves up to the neutral
position, the exhaust port is closed and the air is again locked in the air bag(s),
maintaining proper ride height. These three drawings show a schematic example of
the height control valve in the neutral position, inflate position and deflate or
exhaust position.

Figure 8 : Working Of HCV

4.4 ADVANTAGES

 Excellent Suspension and driving comfort

 Fully automatic Level Control
 Lifting and lowering function
 Easy to service

Page 019
 AUTOMATIC AIR SUSPENSION

Figure: 9 Actual Working Air Suspension

Page 020
 AUTOMATIC AIR SUSPENSION

CONCLUSION

Air suspension is today mainly feature for luxury vehicle . It offers a lot of
feature for compact class. Cost or price level will be more attractive. Integration &
smart design is key. The Air Suspension System has ability to change the load
carrying capacity simply by changing the air pressure.
From the whole discussion in air suspension system, I observe that the
system is like a white blood cell .As white blood cell provides energy to our body
to fight against diseases or viruses which try to destroy or try to decrease our life
,in the similar way air suspension system provides the energy to a vehicle to
protect itself from damaging, increasing life of the vehicle ,increases the handing ,
increases comfort of passengers and many more.
So, according to me if you remove the suspension system, then you feel like
in bull- cart in Audi , Mercedes types luxurious cars. The only difference is speed.
So, the scope of Air Suspension System is Too Bright.

Page 021
 AUTOMATIC AIR SUSPENSION

REFERENCE

[1]. www.lincolnmarkviii.org/suspension/asexplained.htm
[2]. http://www.rodandcustommagazine.com/howto/4923/
[3http://www.motorage.com/motorage/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=110152
[4www.magneshocks.com
[5].www.cadillac.com/cadillacjsp/models/featureDynamic.jsp?model=esv&feature
=stabilitrak

Page 022