What is Automotive Pneumatics?
2 Answers
Automotive pneumatics refers to the pneumatic suspension system in vehicles. The advantage of pneumatic suspension is that it ensures the car does not experience severe vibrations during driving, allows for easy adjustment of the vehicle height, and ensures ride comfort. When the vehicle is stationary, the pneumatic suspension can lower the car's body, and once the car starts, the chassis returns to its normal height. The pneumatic suspension system consists of airbag springs, shock absorbers, an air storage tank, four transmission pipelines, and pneumatic control software. The system uses an in-car controller to remotely inflate or deflate the airbags. When the internal pressure sensor detects low air pressure, the pump automatically fills the air storage tank, enabling free control of the vehicle height. The airbags in the pneumatic suspension have a specific load capacity. Severe overloading of the vehicle can cause the airbags to burst. Additionally, if the temperature is too low, the pneumatic suspension airbags may freeze, leading to issues such as failure to raise or lower the vehicle and inability to inflate, significantly affecting the normal use of the airbags.
Last time I went on a road trip with friends on the highway, I realized how much science there is in automotive aerodynamics—simply put, it's about how the car interacts with the air. At high speeds, you can clearly feel the wind pressure pushing against the car body, especially with boxy designs like SUVs. Designers constantly work on making the body lines more streamlined, lowering the roof, and adding underbody panels—all to reduce the drag coefficient. My sedan even has a shark-fin antenna, which supposedly helps disrupt rear turbulence. On the highway, a car with good aerodynamics not only saves fuel but also feels much more stable when changing lanes. Of course, spoilers aren’t just for show—those exaggerated racing spoilers can actually disrupt aerodynamic balance in everyday cars. Nowadays, when buying an electric vehicle, aerodynamics matter even more—every 0.01 reduction in drag can add over ten kilometers to the range!
