The Secret Behind Armored Vehicle Suspension, Braking, and Recoil Mechanisms
Militaries around the world make use of compressed gasses as a method of controlling forces, such as those endured by vehicle suspension or braking systems, and weapon recoil mechanisms. High-pressure gas boosters have been used for charging nitrogen accumulators on armored and military vehicles for many years, by OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers), maintenance depot personnel, and in the field where portable nitrogen accumulator gas charging is needed.
In military weapons systems, forces generated by ballistics - particularly in the case of field artillery recoil systems, are massive and must be safely absorbed in a consistent and reliable manner under challenging operating conditions. One mechanism that acts to dampen the energy of artillery rounds is called the recoil mechanism. When an artillery round is launched, a great amount of force is generated as a reaction force, acting in the opposite direction of the launched projectile. The recoil mechanism uses hydraulic oil in tandem with a compartment containing high-pressure gas to ‘absorb’ this force, similar to compressing a spring in your hands. After the acceleration of the recoiling barrel stops, the gas decompresses to push the artillery barrel back to its original position. In a similar manner, once you decompress the spring in your hands, it goes back to its normal position. This is referred to as a gas spring. Maintaining and filling these gas springs at periodic maintenance intervals is important to make sure that the recoil mechanism is always ready and able to operate consistently. Haskel gas boosters are reliably used around the world to charge nitrogen accumulators for recoil mechanisms.
Using pressurized gas as a way to store energy is applied in a very similar way in the form of hydraulic accumulation - often used when there is an instant demand for hydraulic pressure, or when pulsations need to be dampened in a hydraulic system. Similar to the case of the gas spring described above, a hydraulic accumulator is a device used to store hydraulic oil at a given system pressure. Each hydraulic accumulator contains an expandable and compressible ‘bladder’ of nitrogen gas that must be charged at high-pressure (typically requiring around 3,000 PSI.) Gas boosters are used extensively to periodically top off these accumulator bladders in factories to ensure suspension systems will be ready for action when needed. Haskel gas boosters are built to withstand the most demanding conditions and will provide years of trouble-free operation.
Hydraulics are often employed when a large force must be generated to control the movement of a heavy object. Military vehicles make use of small, compact, engine-driven hydraulic pumps in conjunction with accumulators in order to minimize the duty on the pump. In the event that the pump fails out in the field, the accumulators can retain their stored energy to drive a hydraulic system momentarily until the vehicle can be moved to a safe location and the pump can be serviced. An example is an emergency braking system. In the event that the hydraulic compressor fails, the accumulator can deploy its stored hydraulic oil at pressure to quickly bring the vehicle to a stop. In order to make sure that these accumulators are always charged and mission-ready, militaries the world over rely on gas boosting systems powered by highly engineered and proven Haskel gas boosters as an integral part of their equipment line-up.
Contact a Haskel representative today to find out more about how we can help you meet your high-pressure gas requirements.