DESIGN OF A MODIFIED LEAF SPRING WITH AN INTEGRATED DAMPING SYSTEM FOR ADDED COMFORT AND LONGER LIFE

Sean D'silva, Sumit Jain

Abstract: This paper explains the design of new type of leaf spring which has an integrated damper system. It has been designed by keeping in mind the various necessities of a vehicle moving on a surface which is subjected to a number of vibration forces. The main objective of having this new design is to improve ride quality and increase the overall life of the leaf spring in general by reducing the intensity of forces on its surface. By implementing this design, the forces acting on it are distributed to the two dampers and to the bottom of the leaf. This helps in the overall balancing of the forces which in turn improves the comfort level and also the increases the lifespan of the component. The results are compared with that of a standard leaf spring. The design is done using the Autodesk Inventor software and the analysis is completed using ANSYS static structural 14.5.

Keywords: leaf spring, multi leaf, damper, passenger vehicle, comfortable ride.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.15623/ijret.2014.0301006