In the passenger model of the Unicar string vehicle, the mechanical suspension has been replaced by an air suspension. Vladimir Vyrvich, Design Engineer at the Chassis Design Bureau «Chassis» and Ivan Romanenko, Head of the Design Bureau « Layout» told more about the results of the improvement.
The installation of the new type of suspension is said to be necessary in order to minimise noise and vibration in the cabin from the wheels. This technology has previously been implemented on a self-propelled truck model chassis by UST, Inc. which is currently being tested in Sharjah. In the UAE, the air suspension has shown good results and can now be used for other forms of the string transport.
What has been done
The engineers faced the challenge of installing an air suspension system in an existing vehicle with minimal interference to the existing structure. To achieve this, in the Unicar, there has been replaced the rigid buffer that used to provide shock absorption with an air cylinder and pneumatic tubes. Because the suspension has become softer and its travel has increased, additional space inside the traction module has been required. To solve this problem, the company has slightly increased the size of the vehicle itself. This has also enabled the installation of a suspension level monitoring system, which can now be monitored online.
What results have you achieved
The new suspension has enabled the Unicar to achieve a smooth ride on a par with business-class cars. The improvements have also reduced the noise load on the passengers. Most importantly, the refinements have helped gain an extra edge over its competitors.
Read the original news in Russian and English at official UST, Inc. site