Abstract
The unbalanced electromagnetic force generated by in-wheel motors (IWM) can significantly affect vehicle ride comfort and handling performance. Although existing studies have explored control strategies for suspension systems or addressed the electromagnetic characteristics of IWM separately, few have systematically investigated the dynamic coupling between the IWM drive system and the suspension system and their coordinated control under operating disturbances. This paper proposes a coordinated optimization control strategy for a Continuous Damping Control (CDC) semi-active suspension system and an IWM drive system to address this issue. First, a nonlinear electromagnetic model of the IWM is developed using the virtual displacement principle, capturing the unbalanced magnetic force under rotor eccentricity. Then, a vehicle dynamics model is constructed to analyse the adverse impact of the coupling force transmission path, both upward to the vehicle body and downward to the road contact interface, from the perspectives of vibration energy and dynamic characteristics. A control framework combining independent current chopping control for the IWM and H2/H∞ control for the CDC suspension is established to mitigate the negative effects of dynamic coupling. This coordinated control system is optimized using a particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm to balance ride comfort and handling stability. Simulation results demonstrate that, compared with conventional methods, the proposed strategy effectively reduces body vibration, limits posture deviation, mitigates electromagnetic disturbance, and improves vehicle dynamic performance under complex operating conditions.
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