Tesla Patents New Active Suspension Tech

Tesla System with Actuators for Wheel Motion Control

Tesla’s upcoming advanced suspension system has become manifest in a recent patent, mirroring a huge step for the automaker’s suspension technology. Our investigation of the World Intellectual Patent Office uncovered this information, indicating that the new setup should far exceed the current air suspension design in complexity and sophistication.

Many high-end motor vehicle producers have since perfected their adaptive suspension components by employing active wheel alignment monitoring. Rather than just adjusting the suspension, or varying the spring and shock absorber levels according to preset measurements, these current active suspension apparatus are competent of indefatigably shifting the wheels to their most advantageous placements to most successfully make up for road surface irregularities.

A latest patent by Tesla has been recently unveiled that seeks to generate an equivalent result by adjusting the length of its suspension strut based on present and expected conditions of the surface area. A motor actuator installed in the higher strut mount has been integrated with a belt conveyer to revolve a threaded screw tightly connected to the strut shaft, thus modifying the length of the strut shaft by relocating the upper mounting point either up or down for active control over the wheel’s posture.

The concept of using electrical-powered wheel position control has been around for decades; however, historically the challenge has been finding a source to provide sufficient power. Fortunately, Tesla’s large battery system is capable of fulfilling this demand, with electrically operated struts supported by linked passive springs and damper mechanisms that aid performance whilst reducing loads and revising friction tensions imposed on the system.

Control systems are an essential element of this new suspension design. Inputs here include vibration sensors, accelerometers, wheel position sensors, and pitch and roll detectors. Also, Tesla’s anonymized fleet information gathering mechanism is likely to contribute some details on road conditions.

It is probable that camera systems already existing in Teslas will scan the road ahead, with the purpose of foreseeing the most ideal wheel positions and other suspension regulations as it traverses. This could take up a comparable procedure to the proactive E-Active body command system which can be seen in the Mercedes-Benz S-Class.

The new suspension control system will allow for more than just a ride height management and leveling. It will be capable of detecting potholes, ridges, and ruts before they are encountered and retract the wheel in response accordingly, cushioning the impact between that wheel and the disturbances in the road. An adjustable strut shaft will give the vehicle the ability to reduce body roll without detrimentally affecting the spring and damper settings; pitch and squat can also be avoided when accelerating or braking.

The existing Tesla Model S and Model X incorporate a standard adjustable air suspension system with adaptive spring and damper rates. This gives the most expensive and oldest Tesla models the advantage of a reconfigurable ride height and suspension stiffness, which was benchmarked with Tesla’s competitors when these two vehicles were launched in 2012 and 2015, respectively.