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Hydropneumatic suspension is a type of motor vehicle suspension system, designed by Paul Magès, invented by Citroën, and fitted to Citroën cars, as well as being used under licence by other car manufacturers, notably Rolls-Royce (Silver Shadow), Maserati (Quattroporte II) and Peugeot. It was also used on Berliet trucks and has more recently been used on Mercedes-Benz cars.〔Heißing, Bernd; Ersoy, Metin: Fahrwerkhandbuch - Grundlagen, Fahrdynamik, Komponenten, Systeme, Mechatronik, Perspektiven. Wiesbaden: Vieweg/Teubner, 2008〕 Similar systems are also used on some military vehicles. The suspension was referred to as ''oléopneumatique'' in early literature, pointing to oil and air as its main components.〔http://www.linguee.com/french-english/translation/suspension+oléopneumatique.html〕 The purpose of this system is to provide a sensitive, dynamic and high-capacity suspension that offers superior ride quality on a variety of surfaces.〔Reynolds, John: Daring to be different p.75. Haynes, 2004〕 ''Hydro-pneumatic'' combines the advantages of two technological principles: *Hydraulic systems use torque multiplication in an easy way, independent of the distance between the input and output, without the need for mechanical gears or levers *Pneumatic systems are based on the fact that gas is compressible, so equipment is less subject to shock damage. *Gas absorbs excessive force, whereas fluid in hydraulics directly transfers force The suspension system usually features both self-leveling and driver-variable ride height, to provide extra clearance in rough terrain.〔http://press.porsche.com/news/release.php?id=154〕 The principles illustrated by the successful use of ''Hydro-pneumatic'' suspension are now used broad range of applications, like aircraft oleo struts and gas filled automobile shock absorbers, first patented in the U.S. in 1960.〔http://www.google.sc/patents/US2959410〕 ==Impact== Hydro-pneumatic suspension has a number of natural advantages over steel springs, generally recognized in the auto industry.〔https://www.wpi.edu/Pubs/E-project/Available/E-project-042712-134653/unrestricted/FINAL_AUCAS_MQP_Report.pdf〕 Suspension and springing technology is not generally well understood by consumers, leading to a public perception that hydropneumatics are merely "good for comfort". They actually also have great advantages related to car handling and control efficiency, solving a number of problems inherent with using steel springs that suspension designers have always dreamt they could eliminate.〔http://www.initialdave.com/cars/tech/suspensionbasics09.htm〕 Among auto manufacturers that understood the inherent advantages over steel springs, it faced two additional issues. First, it was patented by the inventor, and second it had a perceived element of complexity, so automakers like Mercedes-Benz, British Leyland (Hydrolastic, Hydragas), and Lincoln have sought to create simpler variants using a compressed air suspension.〔http://www.hydragas.co.uk/HydroService.pdf〕〔http://www.initialdave.com/cars/tech/suspensionbasics08.htm〕 Citroën's invention of the system had a disadvantage that only garages equipped with special tools and know-how were qualified to work on the cars, making them seem radically different from ordinary cars with common mechanicals.〔http://www.nbc.com/jay-lenos-garage/video/1971-citroen-ds/2839548?onid=159436#vc159436=1〕 The nitrogen gas (air) as spring medium is approximately six times more flexible than conventional steel, so self-leveling is incorporated to allow the vehicle to cope with the extraordinary suppleness provided.〔https://www.wpi.edu/Pubs/E-project/Available/E-project-042712-134653/unrestricted/FINAL_AUCAS_MQP_Report.pdf〕 France was noted for poor road quality in the post-war years, but the hydropneumatic suspension as fitted to the Citroën ID/DS and later cars ensured a smooth and stable ride even when quickly traversing poorly surfaced roads.〔〔http://landrovermena.com/2012/09/20/the-all-new-range-rover-unmatched-capability/〕〔http://activesuspensionsystems.com/lelx470susy.html〕 Hydropneumatic suspension offers no natural roll stiffness. There have been many improvements to the system over the years, including steel anti-roll bars, variable ride firmness (Hydractive), and active control of body roll (Citroën Activa).〔http://www.autozine.org/technical_school/suspension/tech_suspension3.htm〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「hydropneumatic suspension」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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