Abstract
During dynamic testing of vehicle air springs, work is required for loading the springs. This work is partially returned by the spring to the driving system during the release phase. Testing is energy-efficient when at least a portion of the returned work can be utilised. This was taken into account in the design of the new inovative test rig for the simultaneous testing of four air springs. There is a phase shift between the phases of loading individual air springs; thus, the work returned to the drive system by a spring during its release is also used for loading another spring. The test rig was constructed and operates in the laboratory of an air spring manufacturer. We developed a computer program to analyse the energy situation in the test rig. The program calculates the work required for loading the springs, power and friction for different sizes of springs and test conditions. In this paper, computational algorithms are deduced and the results of the calculation for the treated spring are presented. The energy situation in the test rig during start-up and operation is discussed, taking into account the energy loss due to the hysteresis of springs and friction losses. The friction losses are evaluated for different implementations of critical elements. The influence of a flywheel on conditions during the start-up and operation of the test rig is analysed.
Highlights
Energy efficiency is proven by the mesured electric current flowing through the electrical motor
Dedicated test rigs are used for the dynamic testing of air springs
Our test rig was constructed for a well-known manufacturer of air springs
Summary
Dedicated test rigs are used for the dynamic testing of air springs. Our test rig was constructed for a well-known manufacturer of air springs. It is primarily used for type-approval testing in order to confirm the customer and legislative requirements. It is possible to modify the amplitude and frequency of load, which is not possible in mechanical test rigs. The amplitude and frequency of the sinusoidal load are set at the start of the test, and they remain the same throughout the test. On the existing mechanical test rigs, two air springs are tested at the same time, being alternatively loaded and released. We developed a computer program that calculates the load of the test rig components and friction losses during the test of any spring. The mass moment of the inertia of the flywheel was determined on the basis of surpluses and deficits of work with respect to the medium work for a load cycle
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