Development and validation of a CFD model to investigate the oil flow in a shock absorber

The optimization of internal components in a shock absorber is today a task that demands a significant experimental support and a great number of prototypes and tests. Aiming to reduce the development time, a CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) model can be used in order to predict and study the flow through several valves and internal components in a shock absorber.

The present work approaches the first development stage of a complete CFD shock absorber model. This stage consists of the flow simulation through an existing clearance between the shock absorber piston and the tube, studying the effects and its relations with the resultant forces. The results of the simulations have been compared with analytical calculations and experimental tests in order to validate the model.