Air spring damper, on the way to exceptional sliding: modeling, development and optimization of an air spring damper with regard to ride comfort and handling

Air spring systems are gaining more popularity in the automotive industry and with the ever growing demand for comfort these-days they are almost inevitable. Some significant advantages which they offer over conventional steel springs are appealing to commercial vehicles as well as to modern passenger vehicles in the luxury class. Current production air spring systems exist in combination with hydraulic shock absorbers (integrated or resolved). An alternative is to use the medium air not only as a spring but also as a damper: a so-called air spring damper.