F2010C029
Verifying the Performance of a Hydraulic Damper through Infrared Spectroscopy
Shock absorber is a fundamental element of the suspension system of a motor vehicle. It degradation could cause a significant variation of the dynamic behavior of the vehicle. A worn out damper could reduce the tire-road contact which can lead to an increase in stopping distance. Similarly, lateral stability may be compromised due to uncontrolled rolling movements. Finally, highlight the effects that may occur in the comfort of the occupants. Excessive vibration inside the car could lead to premature fatigue and lack of attention to driving. It would be desirable to have some method that allows to know the state of wear of this component in order to decide when it must be replaced before the default may cause an accident. In this paper, we examine the influence of oil degradation in the performance of a vehicle hydraulic shock absorber, so that it could establish an objective criterion to determine the time that must be replaced. Through the infrared spectroscopy, it has analyzed the infrared absorption spectrum (IR) of the oil shock in different stages of ware out in order to establish a correlation between the IR absorption index and the loss of the shock absorber performances. The study is based on the experimental results obtained in a damper test rig, where the damper behavior charts have been measured along to the component accumulated working cycles. From previous work, the authors have been able to establish an objective criterion based on the minimum allowable damping coefficient that allows to know if the damper is under safety condition from a vehicle stability point of view. This work has allowed to relate this value with the infrared absorption (IR) index measured in oil damper under wearing conditions in order to establishing a reference of IR value rate that determines the time that the shock absorber must be replaced.
This abstract is supplemented by a PDF, which can be viewed here.