Electro-Pneumatic Air Shock Optimization System with User Specified Parameters and Integrated Driver Control for Off Road Vehicles - Senior Design
This year long project serves as the Capstone for the Fairfield University School of Engineering. Students are tasked with design of a product, designated either by industry sponsors or faculty advisors. My group worked months in advance to develop our own project, based on our unique skill sets and interests. Follow the development of this project below, in progress.
The Idea
The idea for this project is to develop a product for avid off-road enthusiasts. This product would be an aftermarket system that connects to air shock suspension systems to improve performance and driver comfort.
Requirements
The system would need to run off an onboard compressor, powered by the vehicle's battery. The interface needs to be easily adaptable to an array of vehicles.
Design
The system will use solenoid valves to quickly change the air pressure inside the air shock chamber. The driver will define preset pressures using a built-in dynamic calculator. Then, at the push of a button, the shocks will automatically adjust to preset. The interface will also include a mountable screen for system feedback.
Fabrication
Creating deadlines for final design, part ordering, and fabrication milestones. This kept the project on schedule, ensuring the vehicle would be ready for race weekend.
Dynamic Calculations
To develop the system, we needed to understand the effect of air pressure on shock stiffness/damping, and the vehicle suspension's reaction to these parameters. We used MatLab and C++ programs to develop a calculator.
Computer
The system will utilize the Raspberry Pi 4 Platform for all computing. The program needs to be thorough, dependable and sophisticated.
Building, Testing, and Improving
We are in the process of ordering and test-fitting parts. Once all components are acquired, the system will undergo heavy testing and redesign to provide the best possible final product.
Skills Learned
From this project, I am learning the importance of developing a clear, structured schedule to organize the work, and ensure completion. Another important lesson is the understanding that there will be unforeseen complications with the schedule, and how to build in time for these delays. Additionally, I am discovering how to approach a project of this scale, and deal with all aspects of development. Budgeting, communication, and task-allocation are all key aspects of maintaining the schedule and requirements of the project.