ZF Friedrichshafen and Levant Power are working on what they claim is the world’s first fully active suspension system with energy recovery function.
GenShock-technology is a fully active system for passenger cars which will combine dynamics, safety, and comfort characteristics with minimum energy consumption.
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Intelligent, simple design creates the basis for future cost-effective volume production.
Previous attempts to achieve high-bandwidth active suspension have fallen short due to cost, complexity, and power consumption. ZF and Levant Power are now developing GenShock-technology to unite the vast gains of active suspension with modest power consumption, minimal complexity, and affordable cost.
The recently agreed cooperation paves the way for revolutionary damper technology.
Newly-conceived valve
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By GlobalDataAn innovative functional unit – fitted to the outside of the damper – forms the technological basis of the active, regenerative system. The valve technology has been developed specifically for this application. The very compact unit is composed of its own control unit, an electric motor, and an electrohydraulic gear pump. Driven by an electronically controlled electric motor, the gear pump regulates the oil flow in the damper.
“For dynamics, comfort, and safety, it is essential that active forces can be applied into the chassis”, explains Rüger. For this reason, the damping characteristic curve does not only adapt optimally to each driving situation automatically; but also bodywork pitch motions during abrupt braking manoeuvres and rolling motions during rapid evasion manoeuvres are virtually eliminated. Moreover, the technology is capable of actively raising each individual wheel.
Electricity for the vehicle power supply
As soon as the driving situation permits, the innovative valve system automatically uses the swaying motion of the damper piston to recover energy. Then, the system guides the oil in the damper in such a way that it drives the electric pump motor. This then functions like a generator – it converts the kinetic energy generated into electricity and feeds it into the vehicle power supply, thus contributing to a reduction in CO2 emissions. This effect is most powerful when the vehicle is traveling on poor-quality country roads.
ZF is making use of its long-standing know-how with adaptive dampers: its continuous damping control (CDC) has been available since 1994 – and is still doing so with its fourth generation. The production numbers continue to rise: 2011 marked the temporary record high with more than 2.2m dampers produced for Alpina, Audi, Bentley, BMW, Ferrari, Maserati, Opel, Rolls-Royce, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, and Volkswagen. A total of around 14m CDC systems has already come off the production line at ZF. ZF expects an annual production of more than 3m CDC units for passenger car applications alone by 2016. In addition, there are ZF systems for buses, trucks, agricultural machines, and motorcycles.
