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The advantages of the proposed novel magnetic energy-harvesting suspension (MEHS) are high safety, compact structure and convenient maintenance, compared with the previous studies. However, the force generated by the energy harvester with harvesting energy can affect the motion of the mechanical system. Therefore, this paper aims to analyze the ride comfort and road handling of the MEHS, and investigates the dynamic performance of the MEHS. Firstly, the structure and the working principle of the MEHS are illustrated and introduced, and the dynamic mechanism of the quarter-vehicle with the MEHS is revealed and investigated. Secondly, the effects of the electromechanical coupling coefficient and external load resistance on the dynamic performance are investigated by numerical calculation. An experimental setup is established to verify the dynamic performance of the proposed MEHS. According to the experimental results, the dynamic performance of the suspension is contradictory with the increase of the external load resistance at the periodic frequency 7 Hz. And compared with the passive suspension, the dynamic performance of the MEHS is changed at various excitations, in which the sprung displacement and relative dynamic load of the tire of MEHS at the periodic frequency 3.3 Hz are reduced by 39.45% and 41.18%, respectively. Overall, the external load resistance of the proposed MEHS can be utilized to realize the variable damping of the suspension system and reduce the effect of vibration on the suspension system at the resonance frequency. And the dynamic performance has been verified in the laboratory, which lays the foundation for the dynamic analysis in a real vehicle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The advantages of the proposed dual-mode magnetic suspension are it having a high level of safety and a compact structure compared with the previous studies. However, the structure parameters can affect the energy harvesting of the suspension system. Therefore, this paper aims to analyze the energy-harvesting characteristics of the proposed dual-mode magnetic suspension. Firstly, the structure and working principle of the proposed suspension are introduced. Then, the influences of the various parameters for the actuator on the energy regeneration characteristics are analyzed by the finite element method, such as the magnetic ring, the fixed plug thickness, the heat dissipation, and the air gap, and the actuator parameters are defined by the orthogonal analysis method. Furthermore, the numerical results of the energy harvesting are calculated. Finally, the vibration experimental setup is manufactured, and the simulation analysis is verified by the experiment. The results demonstrate that the excitation amplitude is 3.1 mm, the frequency is 18 Hz, and the maximum induced EMF is 8.8 V. Additionally, compared with passive suspension, the energy harvesting of the proposed suspension has been verified in the laboratory, which lays the foundation for the design and analysis of the dual-mode magnetic suspension in a real vehicle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent research has examined the possibility of recovering energy from mechanical vibration induced by a vehicle shock absorber using piezoelectric and electromagnetic transducers. In terms of automotive applications, piezoelectric vibration energy harvesting shows promise for recapturing some (even if small) amounts of vehicle vibration energy, which would otherwise be wasted through the vehicle dampers. Functional materials, such as piezoelectric materials, are capable of converting mechanical energy into useful electrical energy and vice versa. In this paper, an innovative rotational piezoelectric vibration-energy-harvesting device is presented that employs a magnetic coupling mechanism and provides robust performance over a range of frequencies. The piezoelectric energy harvester is driven by a unidirectional suspension system. An experimental investigation was carried out to study the performance of the manufactured prototype. We observed no damage to the prototype after operating continuously at a vibration amplitude of 5 mm at a frequency of 2.5 Hz for over 10,000 cycles. In addition, the presented regenerative suspension system is capable of producing high and relatively steady open-circuit voltages, irrespective of excitation frequencies. The results demonstrate that regenerative shock absorber is robust and has a broad frequency range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Suspension is a significantly important component for automotive and railway vehicles. Regenerative hydraulic-electric shock absorbers (RHSA) have been proposed for the purpose of attenuating vibration of vehicle suspension, and also recover kinetic energy originated from vehicle vibration that is conventionally dissipated by hydraulic dampers. To advance the technology, the paper aims to present an RHSA system for heavy-duty and railway vehicles and create a dynamic modelling to discuss on the development process of RHSA model. Design/methodology/approach: First, the development of RHSA dynamic model can be resolved into three stage models (an ideal one, a second one with an added accumulator and a third one that considers both accumulator and system losses) to comprehensively evaluate the RHSA's characterisation. Second, a prototype is fabricated for testing and the results meet desired agreements between simulation and measurement. Finally, the study of key parameters is carried out to investigate the influences of hydraulic-cylinder size, hydraulic-motor displacement and accumulator pre-charged pressure on the RHSA system. Findings: The findings of sensitivity analysis indicate that the component design can satisfy the damping characteristics and power performance required for heavy-duty vehicle, freight wagon and typical passenger train. The results also show that reducing the losses is highly beneficial for saving suspension energy, improving system reliability and increasing power-conversion efficiency. Originality/value: The paper presents a more detailed method for the development and analysis of a RHSA. Compared with the typical shock absorbers, RHSA can also recover the vibration energy dissipated by suspension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focuses on energy harvesting from vehicle suspension by employing a regenerative rotational shock absorber. Designing, manufacturing and testing of a prototype device is done step by step to provide a useful manual for researchers. The prototype damper was especially designed for low frequency applications. A rack-pinion mechanism was proposed to transform linear motion to rotational one. Unidirectional motion was realized by using a new combination of bearings and gear chain mechanism. This mechanical rectifier was coupled to light weight gear box with high reduction factor. Experimental studies were conducted in laboratory by utilizing a damper testing device. Excitation vibration motion on prototype was in constant amplitude (25 mm) and at variable low frequencies (0.16, 0.32 and 0.48 Hz). Additionally, different resistances were tested as an external load for electric generator (0.66 ∼ 10.4 Ω). Generated voltage and power in different case studies were presented. The maximum power was found to be 35 W and the maximum performance achieved was 34.36%. The range of calculated damping coefficient is in between 4800 Ns/m and 16000 Ns/m that is convenient for passenger and commercial vehicles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the articulated trucks are mainly used for long distance transportations, the design of the suspension system became a major concern and a research hotspot not only for ride comfort and driving safety but also for energy consumption. Therefore, the objective of this study is to conduct a comprehensive parametrical–based conflict analysis between the ride comfort and road holding together with the potential power of the shock absorbers. The simulation analysis is performed using a 23 degree-of-freedom full truck semi-trailer mathematical model with random road surface model. The bounce and combined excitation modes for the truck model are applied to present the pro and contra of the simplified and realistic analysis. The bounce mode is applied for a road Class C and truck driving speed of 20 m/s, while the combined mode is performed with the same truck-speed but considering a Class C road for the left track and Class D road for the right track considering the time delay between the truck axles. The truck dynamics including the mean potential power, average dynamic tire load and bounce, and pitch and roll accelerations is comprehensively combined in the conflict analysis–based suspension and driving parameters. The obtained simulation results showed that the articulated truck suspension should be designed considering a realistic excitation condition. In contrast to the bounce mode, under the combined road input, the tractor ride quality and road handling performances are improved when a heavily damped suspension is considered. Furthermore, the otherwise dissipated energy through the damping events can reach an overall value between 2 and 4 kW. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An accurate estimation of the harvestable energy from a vehicle suspension under typical operating conditions is vital for design and implementation of efficient energy harvesters in vehicles. In this study, a generic three-dimensional model of a commercial vehicle is formulated by integrating nonlinear models of suspension components and tires to determine the harvestable power considering the effects of suspension parameters and road characteristics. The component characteristics of the suspension system and tires are obtained through the reported laboratory-measured data acquired under an extensive range of loading conditions. The vehicle model is subsequently employed to investigate the harvestable energy potential considering variations in the driving speed, chassis load, road waviness and roughness, suspension and tire stiffness, compression mode damping ratio, and asymmetric suspension damping over the most possible ranges of running conditions. The results suggested significant influences of these parameters, while the driving speed, damping asymmetry factor, compression mode damping ratio, and road condition revealed the most pronounced effect on the harvestable power. The results obtained in terms of root mean square and power spectral density of harvestable power are also indicative that rough terrains yield incomparably larger magnitudes of energy dissipation than relatively smooth road classes defined in ISO 8608:1995, and thereby suggestive of the greater potential of energy recovery from commercial vehicles on off-road surfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study is aimed quantify dissipated power in a damper of automobile suspension to predict energy harvesting potential of a passenger car more accurately. Field measurements of power dissipation in a regenerative damper are still rare. The novelty is in using the broad database of real road profiles, a 9 degrees-of-freedom full-car model with real parameters, and a tyre-enveloping contact model. Results were presented as a function of road surface type, velocity and road roughness characterised by International Roughness Index. Results were calculated for 1600 test sections of a total length about 253.5 km. Root mean square of a dissipated power was calculated from 19 to 46 W for all four suspension dampers and velocity 60 km/h and from 24 to 58 W for velocity 90 km/h. Results were compared for a full-car model with a tyre-enveloping road contact, full-car and quarter-car models with a tyre–road point contact. Mean difference among three models in calculated power was a few per cent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, there has been a lot of work related to Energy Harvesting Shock Absorbers (EHSA). These devices harvest energy from the movement of the vehicle's shock absorbers caused by road roughness, braking, acceleration and turning. There are different technologies that can be used in these systems, but it is not clear which would be the best option if you want to replace a conventional shock absorber with an EHSA. This article presents a methodology to compare the performance of different EHSA technologies that can replace a shock absorber with a given damping coefficient. The methodology allows to include different analysis options, including different types of driving cycles, computer vehicle models, input signals and road types. The article tests the methodology in selecting the optimal EHSA technology for a particular shock absorber and vehicle, optimizing at the same time energy recovery. In addition, a study of parameters in each type of technology is included to analyze its influence on the final objective. In the example analyzed, the EHSA technology with a rack and pinion system turned out to be the best. The proposed methodology can be extrapolated to other case studies and design objectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the automotive paradigm shifts towards electric, limited range remains a key challenge. Increasing the battery size adds weight, which yields diminishing returns in range per kilowatt-hour. Therefore, energy recovery systems, such as regenerative braking and photovoltaic cells, are desirable to recharge the onboard batteries in between hub charge cycles. While some reports of regenerative suspension do exist, they all harvest energy in a parasitic manner, and the predicted power output is extremely low, since the majority of the energy is still dissipated to the environment by the suspension. This paper proposes a fundamental suspension redesign using a magnetically-levitated spring mechanism and aims to increase the recoverable energy significantly by directly coupling an electromagnetic transducer as the main damper. Furthermore, the highly nonlinear magnetic restoring force can also potentially enhance rider comfort. Analytical and numerical models have been constructed. Road roughness data from an Australian road were used to numerically simulate a representative environment response. Simulation suggests that 10's of kW to >100 kW can theoretically be generated by a medium-sized car travelling on a typical paved road (about 2–3 orders of magnitude higher than literature reports on parasitic regenerative suspension schemes), while still maintaining well below the discomfort threshold for passengers (<0.315 m/s 2 on average). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]