Bose Suspension... I want

[CamaroSpike23]

i was looking around at some suspension stuff and came across this

http://www.bose.com/controller?event..._challenge.jsp

pretty B/A if I do say so myself. shame its not going to be available till 2009, and even then on high end luxury models. i would love to put that on my maro.

The Bose® suspension system includes a linear electromagnetic motor and power amplifier at each wheel, and a set of control algorithms. This proprietary combination of suspension hardware and control software makes it possible, for the first time, to combine superior comfort and superior control in the same vehicle.

Linear electromagnetic motor
A linear electromagnetic motor is installed at each wheel of a Bose equipped vehicle. Inside the linear electromagnetic motor are magnets and coils of wire. When electrical power is applied to the coils, the motor retracts and extends, creating motion between the wheel and car body.

One of the key advantages of an electromagnetic approach is speed. The linear electromagnetic motor responds quickly enough to counter the effects of bumps and potholes, maintaining a comfortable ride. Additionally, the motor has been designed for maximum strength in a small package, allowing it to put out enough force to prevent the car from rolling and pitching during aggressive driving maneuvers.

Power amplifier
The power amplifier delivers electrical power to the motor in response to signals from the control algorithms. The amplifiers are based on switching amplification technologies pioneered by Dr. Bose at MIT in the early 1960s — technologies that led to the founding of Bose Corporation in 1964.

The regenerative power amplifiers allow power to flow into the linear electromagnetic motor and also allow power to be returned from the motor. For example, when the Bose suspension encounters a pothole, power is used to extend the motor and isolate the vehicle's occupants from the disturbance. On the far side of the pothole, the motor operates as a generator and returns power back through the amplifier. In so doing, the Bose suspension requires less than a third of the power of a typical vehicle's air conditioner system.

Control algorithms
The Bose suspension system is controlled by a set of mathematical algorithms developed over the 24 years of research. These control algorithms operate by observing sensor measurements taken from around the car and sending commands to the power amplifiers installed in each corner of the vehicle. The goal of the control algorithms is to allow the car to glide smoothly over roads and to eliminate roll and pitch during driving.

[Kyle2k]

Audio equipment to suspenion....hmmm...

[DGthe3]

I heard that this was under development. In fact, legend has it that the Bose radio was made in order to get money to continue funding the suspension research. When you get right down to it, the two aren't terribly different, at least for this type of suspension. It will be really cool to see it in action though

[Kyle2k]

Explain how audio equipment and suspension relate, please I would honestly like to know.

[CamaroSpike23]

Originally Posted by Kyle2k

Explain how audio equipment and suspension relate, please I would honestly like to know.

electromagnets power speakers... now think of the speaker as your shock and the electromagnet keeping it from moving instead of moving it. does that help?

[Kyle2k]

Oh wow, yeah that sounds awesome!

[DGthe3]

Originally Posted by CamaroSpike23

electromagnets power speakers... now think of the speaker as your shock and the electromagnet keeping it from moving instead of moving it. does that help?

To add to that, using this setup would allow for near perfect ride and handling. It is equivelent to active noise canceling headphones. those headphones take in the ambient noise, then play it back perfectly out of sync, resulting in no sound. This works in the same way, only instead of a microphone picking up sound there is a sensor to detect movement. This trigers the motor to activate. for how noise canceling headphones work, this is pretty good http://electronics.howstuffworks.com...headphone3.htm

So when you hit a bump, the motor retracts so the wheel moves up but the body of the car doesn't. Similarly, when you come to a dip the motor extends and the car just keeps on going. The trick is getting it be fast and precise. If its off by a little, it would be one of the worst rides you would ever experience. Instead of canceling the movement it would add to it, magnifying every little bump.

[NOODLESgoneWILD]

Sounds "No pun intendend" very interesting!

Wounder if you could make your car dance to music if you hooked these Speaker/Shocks to the radio...I can see it now

[DGthe3]

Originally Posted by NOODLESgoneWILD

Sounds "No pun intendend" very interesting!

Wounder if you could make your car dance to music if you hooked these Speaker/Shocks to the radio...I can see it now

I'm sure that someone, somehow, some day, will manage to get a car with those shocks to dance like a low rider. That would just be wierd to see a European land yacht start dancing. Though I don't think it could bounce or jump. Still, its a really odd mental image.

[TAG UR IT]

I could easily see magnets working in place of shocks. Kinda like reversing them to where they push each other away, right? Don't they already do that sort of stuff w/ roller coasters and what-not? I know they use magnets for the brakes. And, isn't there some train that rides on a cushion of air (in terms) because it's all magnets that kind of make it hover?? I know someone here knows what I"m talking about.

[DGthe3]

Originally Posted by TAG UR IT

I could easily see magnets working in place of shocks. Kinda like reversing them to where they push each other away, right? Don't they already do that sort of stuff w/ roller coasters and what-not? I know they use magnets for the brakes. And, isn't there some train that rides on a cushion of air (in terms) because it's all magnets that kind of make it hover?? I know someone here knows what I"m talking about.

*Warning Science Lesson*

Yes, the roller coasters and trains rely on magnetic levitation, there are magnetic brakes that never lock up and never wear out (awful at low speed though). Some cars use an oil with iron beads in it to make the ride stiffer or softer depending on your mode (GM calls it Magnetic Selective Ride), it gets activated through an electromagnetic field and changes the viscosity of the oil. But the difference between all these systems and how Bose works is that they are all known as passive systems. Once their state is set, their behavior is governed by a fairly simple equation. Active systems adapt and adjust to the current conditions.

Oh, and strictly magnetic shock absorbers would not work very well. The force exerted by a magnet is inversly proportional to the square of the distance. So, cut the distance in half, quadruple the force. This is different from both springs and shocks. Shocks are proportional to velocity, faster the movement, more force. Springs are proportional to distance, double the distance, double the force. Combined, shocks and springs work very well. I won't get into the dynamics of second order control systems, but basically, there is a good reason why cars have both shock absorbers and springs.

Using magnets will create very awkward driving dynamics. Each magnashock (cool new word eh?) would need to support say 900 lbs of weight, and have total suspension travel of . . . 5 inchs? thats just a guess. If its off, it doesn't really matter. If you run over a rock thats an inch and a half high, those nifty magnashocks will then exert about a ton of force in responce. that will plant the wheel back down and lift the front of the car up. Problem is, there is nothing to really slow down the bouncing. So it would keep going on and on, changed only by the next bump in the road and small frictional losses. Not very fun. Plus, the more weight you add to the car, the stiffer the ride gets. that makes things even worse

Maglev trains work because there are no bumps in the track, and they are so massive and have so much inertia that it would require a large change to cause any sort of verticle movement. MSR suspension only uses magnetism to change the properties of the fluid in the shocks, not as a magnashock. Magnetic brakes are really cool and are great for slowing things down from extremely high speeds. I sort of understand how they work, but its very difficult to explain. I will ask my electromechanical energy conversions prof tomorrow night. see if he can put it into simple terms for me. Plus, I'm really tired now. that took a while to write

[GTAHVIT]

I tried to google for a reliable source on line but my "Google Fu" wasn't up to it.

But, I remember watching a DiscoveryHD show where, I think, Steve Millen was deveolping a smilar setup for his Score/Baja truck. it was pretty cool they held the magnet into a bucket of this liquid and depending on the charge in the magnet the liquid would go from solid to liquid almost instantly...

I whish I could find it. It was really cool.

EDIT: I found this. It was Rod Millen.

So far, the automotive use of MR fluid is limited to shock absorbers and seat dampers for cars and trucks, but active motor mounts are on the way. Other ideas in development include off-road racer Rod Millen's work to develop a damping system to increase high-speed off-road capabilities of the Army's HMMWV. Dana Corp. is developing a center bearing mount for long driveshafts using an MR fluid damper, and also a viscous driveline coupling using an MR fluid clutch. Several companies that make production line equipment are using MR fluid rotary actuators in place of traditional air powered motors or electric stepper motors. Repeatability and accuracy are comparable, but braking is also possible, allowing movement and precise positioning of heavier loads.

YouTube Vid showing how this fluid works.

[Mindz]

[QUOTE=NOODLESgoneWILD;48820]Sounds "No pun intendend" very interesting!

Wounder if you could make your car dance to music if you hooked these Speaker/Shocks to the radio...I can see it nowQUOTE]

[DGthe3]

I think that the people who did the effects for that first video were the same ones that did the transformers for the movie last summer.