Semi-active control of a passenger vehicle for improved ride and handling

Abstract

A theoretical model is developed for the semi-active control of the suspension of a full passenger car using a variable-structure-type algorithm. Skyhook control and variants of balance control (cancelling or adding the dynamic spring forces) are applied via a magnetorheological damper at the front and rear wheels to improve the vehicle ride and handling. The magnetorheological damper is modelled via a Bouc—Wen approach.

The semi-active vehicle response is compared with a passive response. The robustness of control is established by adding noise to the computed sensor inputs, and the loose-wire scenario is also considered. The results show that balance control is a robust algorithm. The magnitude of acceleration reduction (for the human body and head—neck complex) using semi-active control varies with the semi-active approach and vehicle speed (a simulated random road was assumed). At 30m/s the human body acceleration reduction was found to be 70 per cent with skyhook control and 40 per cent with balance control (cancelling the dynamic spring forces).

The handling manoeuvres of the vehicle are presented utilizing BS ISO 3888-1 1999. The handling performance of the vehicle is significantly improved, when balance control by cancelling is applied on the rear dampers only.

Using skyhook control and balance control by adding a spring force to the system it is not possible to improve the handling response of the vehicle.

Keywords

magnetorheological damper semi-active approach suspension comfort handling double-inverted pendulum human body motion Gibbs—Appel method robustness

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

1 Stammers

C. W.

Sireteanu

. Vibration control of machines by using semi-active dry friction damping. J. Sound Vibr., 1997, 209, 671–684.

2 Guglielmino

Stammers

C. W.

Edge

K. A

. Robust force control in electrohydraulic friction damper systems using a variable structure scheme with non-linear state feedback. In Proceedings of the Second Internationales Fluidtechnisches Kolloquium, Dresden, Germany, 2000, pp. 163–176 (Universitat Dresden, Dresden).

3 Guglielmino

Stammers

C. W.

Stancioiu

Sireteanu

Ghigliazza

. Hybrid variable structure - fuzzy control of a magnetorheological damper for a seat suspension. Int. J. Veh. Autonomous Systems, 2005, 3(1), 34–46.

4 Guglielmino

Stammers

C. W.

Stancioiu

Sireteanu

. Conventional and non-conventional smart damping systems for ride control. Int. J. Veh. Autonomous Systems, 2005, 3(2–4), 216–229.

5 Dyke

S. J.

Spencer

B. F.

Sain

M. K.

Carlson

J. D

. Modelling and control of magnetorheological dampers for seismic response reduction. Smart Mater. Structs, 1996, 5, 565–575.

6 Spencer

B. F.

Dyke

S. J.

Sain

M. K.

Carlson

J. D

. Phenomenological model of magnetorheological dampers. J. Engng Mechanics, 1997, 123, 230–238.

7 Choi

S. B.

Lee

S. K.

Park

Y. P

. A hysteresis model for the field-dependent damping force of a magnetorheological damper. J. Sound Vibr., 2001, 245, 375–383.

8 Agrawal

Kulkarni

Vieira

S. L.

Naganathan

N. G

. An overview of magneto- and electro- rheological fluids and their applications in fluid power systems. Int. J. Fluid Power, 2001, 2, 5–36.

Kelso

S. P.

Gordaninejad

Magneto- rheological fluid shock absorbers for off-highway, high-payload vehicles. In Proceedings of the SPIE Conference on Smart Material and Structures Passive damping and isolation San Diego, California, USA, vol. 3672, 1999, pp. 44–54.

10.

10 Lee

H. S.

Choi

S. B

. Control and response characteristics of a magnetorheological fluid damper for passenger vehicles. J. Intell. Mater. Systems Structs, 2000, 11(1), 80–90.

11.

11 Lau

Y. K.

Liao

W. H

. Design and analysis of magnetorheological dampers for train suspension. Proc. IMechE Part F: J. Rail and Rapid Transit, 2005, 219(4), 261–276.

12.

12 Karnopp

Crosby

M. J.

Harwood

R. A

. Vibration control using semi-active force generators. Trans. ASME J. Engng Industry, 1974, 96(2), 619–626.

13.

13 Alanoly

Sankar

. A new concept in semi- active vibration isolation. Trans. ASME J. Mechanisms Transmission Automn Des., 1987, 109(2), 242–247.

14.

14 Rakheja

Sankar

. Vibration and shock isolation performance of semi-active “on-off” damper. Trans. ASME J. Vibr. Acoust., 1985, 107(4), 398–403.

15.

15 Crolla

D. A

. Vehicle dynamics - theory into practice. Proc. Instn Mech. Engrs Part D: J. Automobile Engineering, 1995, 209, 1–12.

16.

16 Liu

Matsuhisa

Utsuno

Park

G. J

. Controllable vibration of the car-body using magnetorheological fluid damper. Int. J. Veh. Systems Dynamics Suppl., 2004, 41, 627–636.

17.

17 Valasek

Kortum

Sika

Magdolen

Vaculin

. Development of semi-active road friendly truck suspensions. Control Engng Practice, 1998, 6, 735–744.

18.

18 Yi

Song

B. S

. A new adaptive sky-hook control of vehicle semi-active suspensions. Proc. Instn Mech. Engrs Part D: J. Automobile Engineering, 1999, 213(3), 293–303.

19.

19 Matsumoto

Griffin

M. J

. Mathematical models for the apparent masses of standing subjects exposed to vertical whole-body vibration. J. Sound Vibr., 2003, 260, 431–451.

20.

20 Wei

Griffin

M. J

. Mathematical models for the apart mass of the seated human body: Vertical vibration. J. Sound Vibr., 1998, 212, 855–874.

21.

Yoshimura

Nakai

Tamaoki

Multi-body dynamics modelling of seated human body under exposure to whole-body vibration. Ind. Health, 2005, 43, 441–447.

22.

22 Sireteanu

Stancioiu

Stammers

C. W

. Use of magnetorheological fluid dampers in semi- active seat vibration control. Active 2002, ISVR, Southampton, UK, 15–17 July 2002, pp. 1055–1062.

23.

23 Choi

Y.-T.

Wereley

N. M

. Mitigation of biodynamic response to vibratory and blast- induced shock loads using magnetorheological seat suspensions. Proc. IMechE Part D: J. Automobile Engineering, 2005, 219, 741–753.

24.

24 Fard

Ishihara

Inooka

. Dynamics of the head-neck complex in response to the trunk horizontal vibration: Modelling and identification. J. Biomech. Engng, 2003, 125, 533–539.

25.

Blundell

Harty

The multi-body systems approach to vehicle dynamics, 2004 (Elsevier Butterworth-Heinemann, Oxford).

26.

26 Wong

Y. J

. Theory of ground vehicles, 1978 (John Wiley, New York).

27.

27 Adams . Available from http://www.mscsoftware.com/products/adams.cfm, 2008.

28.

28 Wang

D. H.

Liao

W. H

. Modelling and control of magnetorheological fluid dampers using neural networks. Smart Mater. Structs, 2005, 14, 111–126.

29.

29 Tsampardoukas

G. I.

Stammers

C. W.

Guglielmino

. Hybrid balance control of magne- torheological truck suspension. J. Sound Vibr., 2007 (in press).

30.

30 Sampson

J. M. D

. Active roll control of articulated heavy vehicles PhD Thesis, University of Cambridge, UK, 2000.

31.

31 BS ISO 3888–1:1999, Passenger cars. Test track for a severe lane-change manoeuvre. Double-lane change, 1999 (British Standards Institution, London).

32.

32 BS ISO 3888–2:2002, Passenger cars. Test track for a severe lane change - manoeuvre, 2002 (British Standards Institution, London).

33.

Guglielmino

Robust control of a hydraulically actuated friction damper for vehicle applications PhD Thesis, University of Bath, UK, 2001.

34.

34 Stammers

C. W

. An alternative to Lagrange. In proceedings of the Third British Conference on The Teaching of Vibration and Noise, 1979, pp. 1–7.