Symmetrically dynamic equalized volume and pressure air management system

A system controller for an air management system comprising a supply tank, a first pneumatic circuit disposed on a first side of a vehicle, and a second pneumatic circuit disposed on a second side of a vehicle, the system controller comprising:

• a housing integrated with the supply tank, wherein the housing comprises at least one tank port pneumatically connected to the supply tank, a first port pneumatically connected the first pneumatic circuit, a second port pneumatically connected to the second pneumatic circuit, and an exhaust port pneumatically connected to the atmosphere;
• and
• a set of valves configured to selectively supply air from the air tank to at least one of the first and second pneumatic circuits, remove air from at least one of the first and second pneumatic circuits to the atmosphere, and establish pneumatic communication between the first and second pneumatic circuits;
• wherein the system controller is configured to adjust independently air pressure of the first pneumatic circuit and adjust independently air pressure of the second pneumatic circuit without establishing pneumatic communication between the first and second pneumatic circuits;
• wherein the system controller is configured to establish pneumatic communication between the first and second pneumatic circuits when the system controller is not adjusting independently the air pressure of the first pneumatic circuit and not adjusting independently the air pressure of the second pneumatic circuit, wherein the set of valves is a valve unit comprising:
• a first valve disposed at an intersection between the first passage and the cross-flow passage,
• a second valve disposed at an intersection between the second passage and the cross-flow passage, and
• a third valve disposed at an intersection between the exhaust passage and the cross-flow passage, wherein the first valve and the second valve each comprises two electronically actuated solenoid valves, and the third valve comprises three electronically actuated solenoid valves.

A system controller for an air management system comprising a supply tank, a first pneumatic circuit disposed on a first side of a vehicle, and a second pneumatic circuit disposed on a second side of a vehicle, the system controller comprising:

• a housing integrated with the supply tank, wherein the housing comprises at least one tank port pneumatically connected to the supply tank, a first port pneumatically connected the first pneumatic circuit, a second port pneumatically connected to the second pneumatic circuit, and an exhaust port pneumatically connected to the atmosphere;
• and
• a set of valves configured to selectively supply air from the air tank to at least one of the first and second pneumatic circuits, remove air from at least one of the first and second pneumatic circuits to the atmosphere, and establish pneumatic communication between the first and second pneumatic circuits;
• wherein the system controller is configured to adjust independently air pressure of the first pneumatic circuit and adjust independently air pressure of the second pneumatic circuit without establishing pneumatic communication between the first and second pneumatic circuits;
• wherein the system controller is configured to establish pneumatic communication between the first and second pneumatic circuits when the system controller is not adjusting independently the air pressure of the first pneumatic circuit and not adjusting independently the air pressure of the second pneumatic circuit, wherein the at least one tank port comprises a first tank port, and wherein the housing comprises:
• a supply passage pneumatically connected to the first tank port,
• an exhaust passage pneumatically connected to the exhaust port, and
• a flow passage pneumatically connected to the first port, the second port, the supply passage, and the exhaust passage.

A system controller for an air management system comprising a supply tank, a first pneumatic circuit disposed on a first side of a vehicle, and a second pneumatic circuit disposed on a second side of a vehicle, the system controller comprising:

• a housing integrated with the supply tank, wherein the housing comprises at least one tank port pneumatically connected to the supply tank, a first port pneumatically connected the first pneumatic circuit, a second port pneumatically connected to the second pneumatic circuit, and an exhaust port pneumatically connected to the atmosphere;
• and
• a set of valves configured to selectively supply air from the air tank to at least one of the first and second pneumatic circuits, remove air from at least one of the first and second pneumatic circuits to the atmosphere, and establish pneumatic communication between the first and second pneumatic circuits;
• wherein the system controller is configured to adjust independently air pressure of the first pneumatic circuit and adjust independently air pressure of the second pneumatic circuit without establishing pneumatic communication between the first and second pneumatic circuits;
• wherein the system controller is configured to establish pneumatic communication between the first and second pneumatic circuits when the system controller is not adjusting independently the air pressure of the first pneumatic circuit and not adjusting independently the air pressure of the second pneumatic circuit, wherein the set of valves comprise a first leveling valve and a second leveling valve,
• wherein the first and second leveling valves are each electronically actuated multi-way valves,
• wherein the first leveling valve is configured to selectively supply air from the first tank port to the first port, selectively remove air from the first port to the exhaust port, and selectively establish pneumatic communication between the first port and the second port;
• wherein the second leveling valve is configured to selectively supply air from the second tank port to the second port, selectively remove air from the second port to the exhaust port, and selectively establish pneumatic communication between the second port and the first port.

A method for controlling the stability of a vehicle operated under dynamic driving conditions comprising an air management system, wherein the air management system comprises a supply tank, one or more air springs disposed on a first side of the vehicle in pneumatic communication with the supply tank and one or more air springs disposed on a second side of the vehicle in pneumatic communication with the supply tank, the method comprising:

• (i) monitoring, by one or more sensors, at least one condition of at least one air spring disposed on each of the first and second sides of the vehicle;
• (ii) transmitting, by the one or more sensors, at least one signal indicating the at least one condition of the at least one air spring disposed on each of the first and second sides of the vehicle;
• (iii) receiving, by a processing module, at least one signal indicating the at least one condition of the at least one air spring disposed on each of the first and second sides of the vehicle;
• (iv) detecting, by the processing module, a height differential between the at least one air spring disposed on each of the first and second sides of the vehicle based at least on the received signals;
• (v) independently adjusting, by a first leveling valve, air pressure of the at least one air spring disposed on the first side of the vehicle such that the first leveling valve is either supplying air from the air supply tank to the at least one air spring disposed on the first side of the vehicle or removing air from the at least one air spring disposed on the first side of the vehicle to the atmosphere;
• (vi) independently adjusting, by a second leveling valve, air pressure of the at least one air spring disposed on the second side of the vehicle such that the second leveling valve is either supplying air from the air supply tank to the at least one air spring disposed on the second side of the vehicle or removing air from the at least one air spring disposed on the second side of the vehicle to the atmosphere;
• (vii) detecting, by the processing module, an air pressure differential between at least one air spring disposed on each of the first and second sides of the vehicle based at least on the received signals when both the first leveling valve and the second leveling valve are set in a neutral mode such that the height differential is within a predetermined threshold such that first and second leveling valves are neither supplying air from the air supply tank nor removing air into the atmosphere;
• and
• (viii) establishing pneumatic communication between the first pneumatic circuit and the second pneumatic circuit only when both the first leveling valve and the second leveling valve are set in a neutral mode via an internal cross-flow passage pneumatically connecting the first and second pneumatic circuits extending through the supply tank.