I believe many car owners are familiar with air suspension. This suspension, which was born in the mid-19th century, is still widely used in various types of heavy-duty vehicles, passenger cars, small cars, and railway vehicles.

According to relevant data, almost all high-end buses abroad have air suspension, and the proportion of air suspension used by heavy-duty trucks has reached over 80%. The application rate of air suspension in light vehicles is also constantly increasing. On some special vehicles with high requirements for shock resistance, air suspension has almost become the only choice.

On many luxury cars, the function of air suspension has almost reached its extreme. For example, through the on-board computer system, the camera can be operated to scan the road conditions ahead, and then the air suspension can be adjusted in advance based on feedback information, so that car owners can have a better driving experience. Therefore, many car owners consider air suspension as a necessary accessory for high-end cars.

However, the "internal competition" between industries is everywhere, and electromagnetic suspension has emerged. It is said that since the 1990s, major car companies have been investing in the research and development of electromagnetic suspension. However, due to a lack of technology and funding, there are very few successful ones, which further emphasizes the scarcity of electromagnetic suspension in the market. Car owners once believed that electromagnetic suspension was definitely more advanced than air suspension.

In previous articles, we have introduced air suspension in detail multiple times, so we won't go into detail here. Today, we will briefly introduce electromagnetic suspension.

Electromagnetic suspension, also known as magnetorheological fluid shock absorber suspension, is an independent suspension made of a special material. Structurally, it mainly consists of an onboard control system, wheel displacement sensors, electromagnetic hydraulic rods, and straight tube shock absorbers.

The working principle of electromagnetic suspension

The shock absorber of the electromagnetic suspension uses electromagnetic fluid inside, which is composed of synthetic hydrocarbons and magnetic particles of 3-10 microns in size. After the control unit sends a pulse signal, a voltage is generated in the coil to form a magnetic field. Through the action of the magnetic field, the arrangement direction of the particles is changed, forming a chain like or cluster like structure with a certain shear yield stress resistance, and it continuously increases with the increase of magnetic field strength. When the limit is reached, The magnetorheological fluid will transform into a solid like form, and the suspension damping will reach its peak.

Characteristics of electromagnetic suspension

1. Fast reaction speed

Due to the fact that the damping of electromagnetic suspension is changed through electromagnetic fields, its damping switching speed is very fast and can react within 1 millisecond, almost equivalent to real-time changes. It can be called the fastest and most advanced damping control suspension system.

2. Stable body effect is good

Even on bumpy roads, electromagnetic suspension can improve tire to road contact, reduce tire rebound, control vehicle center of gravity shift and pitch forward and backward, and effectively control vehicle sway during sharp turns or dodges.

3. Strong environmental adaptability

The electromagnetic suspension has a simple structure, low power consumption, and can be directly powered by a general battery. It has a large control stress range and is not sensitive to impurities. It can work in an environment of -50 ℃ -140 ℃.

4. Low noise

Compared with traditional suspension systems, electromagnetic suspension has fewer moving components and almost no collisions between various components during operation, resulting in low working noise and high riding comfort.

5. Excessive cost

Due to technical issues, the production cost, especially maintenance cost, of electromagnetic suspension is much higher than traditional suspension, which is not particularly cost-effective.

Application of electromagnetic suspension

Due to the excellent response speed of electromagnetic suspension, it is generally used on vehicles that prioritize driving maneuverability, such as some high-end sports models.

So the question arises: is electromagnetic suspension more advanced than air suspension?

In fact, from the previous introduction, we can see that electromagnetic suspension places more emphasis on response speed, while air suspension places more emphasis on ride comfort. It can be said that both are top tier in their respective fields of expertise. If we put them together to say which one is more advanced, there is no definite answer. It depends on which function the car owner focuses more on.

Of course, these two are not incompatible and can also be used together. This way, it can have both ultra fast response speed and a comfortable riding experience, but the cost will naturally be much higher. Generally, this type of combination often appears on top luxury cars.

For freight vehicles, as mentioned earlier, the proportion of foreign heavy-duty trucks equipped with air suspension has reached over 80%. This also indirectly indicates that electromagnetic suspension is not yet suitable for freight vehicles, and air suspension can basically meet the transportation needs of high-end goods.

Air suspension can also be divided into two types: American and German. The American air suspension guide arm has a lighter weight, a larger contact area with the axle, and better lateral support performance for the vehicle; The German air suspension adopts one or more leaf spring structures as guide arms, which have stronger load-bearing capacity, relatively longer airbag travel, better shock absorption performance, and stronger adaptability to road conditions. The air suspension under the Darong Group is specially designed for freight vehicles, featuring classic German design, strong toughness, good sealing, high load-bearing strength, and long service life. Coupled with the Darong disc axle, it can effectively reduce cargo loss and improve operational efficiency.