A shock absorber in common parlance (or damper in technical use) is a mechanical
device designed to smooth out or dampen shock impulse, and dissipate kinetic energy.
It is analogous to a resistor in an electric RLC circuit.
Shock
absorbers must absorb or dissipate energy. One design consideration, when designing
or choosing a shock absorber is where that energy will go. In most dashpots,
energy is converted to heat inside the viscous fluid. In hydraulic cylinders,
the hydraulic fluid will heat up, while in air cylinders, the hot air is usually
exhausted to the atmosphere. |
