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I was looking for an example of a 4-bar slider crank mechanism with a compressed

ID: 1841653 • Letter: I

Question

I was looking for an example of a 4-bar slider crank mechanism with a compressed piston-cylinder (shock absorber).

The shock-absorber seems like the cylinder is one link and the piston is another, so that leaves the ground and one other link. Is the fact that the shock-absorber is being compressed make it a slider crank, or does it still require a "slider" link? I know what a basic 4-bar mechanism looks like with a shock-absorber, but the slider crank is what is throwing me off.
I was looking for an example of a 4-bar slider crank mechanism with a compressed piston-cylinder (shock absorber).

The shock-absorber seems like the cylinder is one link and the piston is another, so that leaves the ground and one other link. Is the fact that the shock-absorber is being compressed make it a slider crank, or does it still require a "slider" link? I know what a basic 4-bar mechanism looks like with a shock-absorber, but the slider crank is what is throwing me off.

Explanation / Answer

The spring or gas-filled cylinder which acts like a shock absorber produces a resisting force on the piston, thereby slowing it down.

Therefore, for dynamic analysis purpose the shock absorbing portion of the entire mechanism need not be considered as a separate link but merely as a resisting force acting on the piston. For the kinematic analysis, it is a normal slider-crank mechanism.

You may look at it this way: In a reciprocating engine, which is based on slider-crank mechanism, you can rotate the crank at whatever speed you want to and depending on the length of the linkages, the piston speed will be governed. The piston speed will not depend on whether there are higher pressure combustion gases inside the cylinder or not. However, if the piston is compressing against high pressure gases, you'll have to put in more "effort" (torque) to rotate the crank at your desired speed. Hope this clarifies.

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