Cairo Hydro-Pneumatic Suspension
The aim of any suspension system is to provide a vehicle, at the same time, with a suspension that resist dive, squat and roll, provide a comfortable ride with extensive axle articulation while keeping pressure on all wheels the same as far as possible.
Conventional suspension systems cannot offer all of the above requirements and have to compromise on ride quality (associated with spring stiffness). Too stiff springs have a harsher ride and impede axle articulation. Soft springs provide a softer ride but cause unwanted effects on the handling of the vehicle, that is too much dive, squat, and body roll.
Another problem with conventional suspension systems is the building up of kinetic energy as the springs on the wheels compress and the release of this energy when the spring returns to its original state. This causes chassis twist and wheel bounce, which must be dampened by hydraulic dampers.
The purpose of the Hydro-Pneumatic Suspension is to provide a suspension system that provide extensive wheel articulation independent of axle articulation, near equal pressure on all the wheels, no body roll, minimal dive and squat and a comfortable ride on all types of surfaces as there is no build-up of kinetic energy and no chassis twist.
The more axles in the system the greater the benefit from the Hydro-Pneumatic Suspension.
Enter the Cairo Hydro-Pneumatic Suspension, the suspension system that caters for all vehicles under all road (and off road) conditions!
Standard Features
1. no articulation stiffness
extensive wheel travel possible
2. no chassis twist as long as all four wheels are in contact with the road surface
much less strain on the vehicle especially in off-road conditions
3. no body roll from suspension – some roll still present from the tyres
safe and predictable handling
safe handling in unsteady handling situations e.g. double lane changes and slalom
4. wheel articulation independent of axle moving up or down
relevant in underground mining vehicles where there is a height restriction on the vehicle and only a limited amount of suspension travel is allowed while a high degree of wheel articulation is needed.
5. pitch damping independent of wheel damping
only pitch damping might be needed. No wheel damping required as no wheel can move up and down independently
6. minimal build-up of kinetic energy at the wheels, only at axle level when hitting bumps
typical example is on a slalom circuit where there are kinetic energy buildup in the springs of a vehicle as it turn from left to right and vice versa – this is especially noticeable on a vehicle with worn dampers.
Features added for a semi-active suspension
1. Self leveling
2. Height control
3. Roll control
much steeper side inclines can be traversed without the vehicle rolling over
negative roll in corners i.e. the vehicle leans into a turn.
