GenShock - Active damping technology for renewable energy

On current electric or hybrid cars, the commonly used energy regenerative braking system helps recharge the battery, boost engine performance, reduce energy consumption and expand the range of operations.

But energy not only recovered from brake operations, car green technology company Levant Power Corp. Car parts manufacturer ZF Friedrichshafen AG has recently officially announced the cooperation to develop the first active damping system with the ability to regenerate energy named GenShock.

According to the disclosure of ZF and Levant Power, active dampers will exploit a new valve technology to navigate the flow of oil in the shock absorber. The entire technology is contained within an external device each shock absorber. The device includes a controller, electric motor, hydraulic electric pump and oil flow control valves to adjust the damping factor.

When the vehicle moves on rough terrain or vibrates when cornering, during acceleration or braking, the swinging motion of the piston in the damping rod will push the oil through the hydraulic electric pump to turn the motor and convert kinetic energy into electricity, reload the power supply. The worse the road surface, the more shocking the movement, thereby generating more electricity.

ZF and Levant Power press releases:

* ZF Friedrichshafen AG has teamed up with Levant Power Corp. to create the world's first fully active suspension with energy recovery.

* GenShock is a fully proactive system for passenger transport vehicles, combining dynamic, safe and comfortable characteristics with minimal fuel consumption.

* Simple and smart design creates the foundation for affordable cost-effective mass production.

Car manufacturers have long been looking for a suspension that can accommodate the control of sports cars while maintaining the comfort of luxury sedans. The difficulty is how to balance between comfort and control; Comfort requires a soft damping system to absorb vibrations, while control capability requires rigidity. Previous attempts to achieve a proactive broadband suspension failed due to the high cost, complexity and energy consumption. ZF and Levant Power are now developing GenShock technology to integrate the benefits of active suspension with low fuel consumption, minimal design and acceptable costs.

The newly signed contract between ZF Friedrichshafen AG and Levant Power Corp. - a company headquartered in Woburn, Massachusetts, USA will pave the way for revolutionary damping technology: "We are working closely with Levant Power. The goal here is to develop suspension systems. The first active energy regeneration in the world, making technology available for mass production and product introduction into the market, we are now pushing for fruitful improvements to meet the Global requirements, " said Rolf Heinz Ruger, who is in charge of managing the damping technology business unit of ZF's Car Chassis Technology branch. " Compassion and control are the core elements of the driving experience. With GenShock technology, ZF and Levant will reinvent this experience," said Shakeel Avadhany, founder and CEO of Levant Power.

New valve technology

This is a very innovative functional element, integrating inside ZF dampers and creating the foundation for energy regeneration technology. The device has a compact design, including controller, electric motor and hydraulic electric pump. The pump is controlled by electric motor to regulate oil in shock absorbers."In order to meet motivational, comfort and safety factors, oil regulation is essential to proactively distribute force on the chassis," Ruger explained. For this reason, the damping feature not only optimally adapted for each driving situation automatically but the body's swaying motion when sudden braking and rolling motion when the cornering is folded will be excluded. Moreover, the technology can be active on each wheel.

Power recovery for power supply

Under allowable conditions, the innovative value of the automatic system uses the swing motion of the piston in damping to restore energy. After that, the system will direct the flow of oil in damping through the motor to turn the motor. As a transmitter, the electro-hydraulic pump converts the kinetic energy into electricity and feeds the power supply, thereby reducing CO ₂ emissions during vehicle operation. Technology is extremely effective when vehicles move on bad roads, suburbs.

In this project, ZF will exploit long-term experience in compatible damping systems. ZF's continuous damping control (CDC) technology has been chosen by many car manufacturers since its first introduction in 1994. ZF continues to develop CDC for the generation. 4. The number of products continues to increase as in 2011, ZF has recorded 22 million shock absorbers transferred to customers such as Alpina, Audo, Bentley, BMW, Ferrari, Maserati, Opel, Rolls-Royce, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche and Volkswagen. ZF predicts CDC's annual output will reach 3 million units for private passenger cars in 2016. Besides, ZF also develops suspension systems for passenger cars, trucks, agricultural machines and motorbikes.