Shock Absorber

Shock absorber (also known as damper) is a hydraulic device used commonly in automobiles to absorb and dampen the vibrations which a vehicle experiences while traveling on irregular surfaces. Kinetic energy is converted into heat energy and the heat is dissipated.

A shock absorber is usually used in conjunction with coil springs. It actually absorbs the natural frequency of the spring and dampens the unwanted spring motion. Imagine a car with only springs. The drive will be a lot bouncy without shock absorbers.

Design of a Shock Absorber:

Twin tube shock absorber is the most commonly used type of shock absorber. So let’s discuss the working of a twin tube shock absorber. As the name suggests, it consists of two tubes. The outer tube, also known as reserve tube mount is connected to the frame of the vehicle, whereas the inner tube (also known as pressure tube) is connected to the wheel axle.

The reserve tube is internally connected to a piston via a piston rod. The reserve tube with a piston sits on the pressure tube filled with hydraulic fluid. Orifices of very small diameters are pocketed out in the piston.

Working of a Shock Absorber:

When a vehicle hits a bump, all the kinetic energy from the spring is transferred to the reserve tube. The kinetic energy is then transferred to the piston. To explain in a simple way, the reserve tube exerts a lot of force on the pressure tube. The hydraulic fluid in the pressure tube is compressed and a small amount of fluid escapes through the tiny orifices in the piston under a great pressure. Since only a small amount of fluid escapes to the reserve tube, the piston moves down slowly and hence the spring movement is dampened.