The new equipment has already been tested by researchers in cooperation with the Czech company Škoda Transportation, which manufactures locomotives and trams. The shock absorber has already been tested with very good results on its locomotive, on a test track in Minden, Germany. The idea is already patented.
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Accelerates driving
Shock absorbers are an important part of vehicles, from rail to classic cars. Also, the novelty from BUT could find use in time. It’s not just that when driving on any uneven surface, it muffles the well-known rumble. The shock absorbers also save the entire machine against wear and allow it to drive smoother as well as faster. Speed is key for them.
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“This is the so-called time response, ie the reaction time of the damper from the detection of the unevenness to its start-up, ie commissioning. We are now able to significantly reduce the time response, ie the response of the damper, “researcher Michal Kubík from the Department of Design at BUT told Práva.
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Flash reaction
The response time of conventional shock absorbers is usually from 20 to 300 milliseconds. The developers have succeeded in developing a silencer that is able to respond in just 1.2 to 1.5 milliseconds. To give you a better idea: it takes 100 to 150 milliseconds to blink.
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They are cooperating with the researchers of Strojírna Oslavany on the development, which could produce shock absorbers. “I believe that innovation will succeed in the market,” said Petr Špalek, chief engineer of Škoda Transportation, which provided the locomotive.
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