ABSTRACT

Air suspension is a type of vehicle suspension powered by an engine driven or electric air pump or compressor. This pump pressurizes the air, using compressed air as a spring. Air suspension replaces conventional steel springs. If the engine is left off for an extended period, the car will settle to the ground. The purpose of air suspension is to provide a smooth ride quality and in some cases self-leveling. While not using high pressure mineral oil, the system aims to achieve a result similar to the hydro-pneumatic suspension arrangement introduced in 1954 by Citron. With a leg up on other companies, GM used its experience with commercial busses air suspension to introduce systems for its car lines, beginning with the 1958 model year. Air bags at each wheel replaced the standard coil springs, and had sensors to keep the car level under load and in turns. It was too slow to react in sudden maneuvers, however. Period reviews rated the air suspension somewhat superior in ride quality, but not dramatically. Some reliability issues plagued these systems, as well. Thus, as an option, air suspension was short lived in that era. Vehicles that use Air Suspension today include models from Mercedes-Benz,AUDI,Volkswagen etc. The air suspension designs from Land Rover, SsangYong, Subaru and some Audi, VW, and Lexus models, feature height adjustable suspension controlled by the driver, suitable for clearing rough terrain. The Lincoln Continental and Mark VIII also featured an air suspension system in which the driver could choose how sporty or comfortable they wanted the suspension to feel. These suspension settings were also linked to the memory seat system, meaning that the car would automatically adjust the suspension to the individual driver. 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.

Department of Mechanical Engineering, KNIT- Sultanpur -228118

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER NO. 1 TITLE INTRODUCTION TO AIR SUSPENSION S 1.1 Preface 1.2 Suspension System 1.2.1 Introduction to Suspension System 1.2.2 Objective of Suspension System 2 PROBLEM DEFINITION 2.1 General Problems Without Suspension 2.2 Problems in Spring Suspension 3 LITERATURE REVIEW 3.1 Leaf Spring 3.2 Air Spring 3.3 Air Suspension 4 BASIC AIR SUSPENSION 4.1 What is an Air Suspension? 4.2 Components of Air Suspension 4.2.1 The Air Supply 4.2.2 Air Bags 4.2.3 Height control Valve 4.3 How the Air Suspension Functions? 4.4 Advantages 5 6 CONCLUSION REFERENCES 05 05 06 07 08 08 09 09 10 10 12 13 15 16 PAGE NO. 01 01 01 03 04 04 04

Department of Mechanical Engineering, KNIT- Sultanpur -228118

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LIST OF FIGURES
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Description
Locating Suspension Units Model T Ford leaf spring Stout-Scarab Advanced Air Suspension Components of air suspension Air Bag System Height Control Valve Working Of HCV Actual Working Air Suspension

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Department of Mechanical Engineering, KNIT- Sultanpur -228118

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