Dynamic characteristics and transmission efficiency of energy-harvesting shock absorber with low speed and heavy duty capacity

Traditional hydraulic shock absorbers commonly encounter challenges such as cavitation, oil leakage, and the management of energy dissipation. The proposed regenerative shock absorber, which utilizes a ball screw mechanism, offers advantages such as high efficiency and heavy load capacity. This paper focuses on the design, modeling, and testing of a mechatronic shock absorber. Virtual prototype simulation techniques are employed to investigate the dynamic behaviors of the shock absorber. The paper presents a systematic efficiency model of a shock absorber, which is based on the ball screw and gearbox mechanisms. The study comprehensively analyzes the effects of rotation speed, axial load, and structure parameters on transmission efficiency. The results demonstrate that a peak power of 38 W can be achieved with a damping force of only 340 N, and the recovery efficiency can reach up to 28%. The experimental test results validate the effectiveness and reliability of the proposed dynamic and efficiency models. The originality of this study lies in the development of a novel energy-harvesting shock absorber with a ball screw mechanism in series with a gearbox, which shows excellent energy recovery potential and transmission efficiency under low speed and high duty conditions.