Author(s)

R. G. Todkar

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An air damper possesses the advantages that there are no long term changes in the damping properties, there is no dependence on working temperature and additionally, it has less manufacturing and maintenance costs. As such, an air damper has been designed and developed based on the Maxwell type model concept in the approach of Nishihara and Asami [1]. The cylinder-piston and air-tank type damper characteristics such as air damping ratio and air spring rate have been studied by changing the length and diameter of the capillary pipe between the air cylinder and the air tank, operating air pressure and the air tank volume. A SDOF quarter-car vehicle suspension system using the developed air enclosed cylinder-piston and air-tank type damper has been analyzed for its motion transmissibility characteristics. Optimal values of the air damping ratio at various values of air spring rate have been determined for minimum motion transmissibility of the sprung mass. An experimental setup has been developed for SDOF quarter-car suspension system model using the developed air enclosed cylinder-piston and air-tank type damper to determine the motion transmissibility characteristics of the sprung mass. An attendant air pressure control system has been designed to vary air damping in the developed air damper. The results of the theoretical analysis have been compared with the experimental analysis.

Ride Comfort, Quarter-Car Suspension Model, Cylinder-Piston and Air-Tank Type Air Damper, Motion Transmissibility, Optimal Air Damping Ratio

R. Todkar, "Design, Development and Testing of an Air Damper to Control the Resonant Response of a SDOF Quarter-Car Suspension System," Modern Mechanical Engineering, Vol. 1 No. 2, 2011, pp. 84-92. doi: 10.4236/mme.2011.12011.