Title: Assessment of different semi-active control strategies on the performance of off-road vehicle suspension systems

Authors: Waleed F. Faris, Zohir BenLahcene, Sany Izan Ihsan

Addresses: Departments of Mechanical Engineering and Mechatronics Engineering, College of Engineering, International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), Jalan Gombak, Gombak 53100, Malaysia. ' Department of Mechatronics Engineering, College of Engineering, International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), Jalan Gombak, Gombak 53100, Malaysia. ' Department of Mechatronics Engineering, College of Engineering, International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), Jalan Gombak, Gombak 53100, Malaysia

Abstract: This paper deals with dynamics and control policies analysis of semi-active suspension systems for off-road vehicles. Three configurations of these vehicles; two-axle, three-axle and four-axle have been studied and their performances are compared. The application of several control policies of semi-active suspension system, namely skyhook; ground-hook and hybrid controls have been analysed and compared with passive systems. The results show that the hybrid control policy yields better comfort than a passive suspension, without reducing the road-holding quality or increasing the suspension displacement. The hybrid control policy is also shown to be a better compromise between comfort, road-holding and suspension displacement than the skyhook and ground-hook control policies. Skyhook control generally improves sprung mass responses while at the same time increasing unsprung mass responses. On the other hand, ground-hook control generally improves unsprung mass responses at the expense of the sprung mass responses. Results show an improvement in ride comfort and vehicle handling using four-axle over three-axle and two-axle when emphasis is placed on the response of the vehicle body acceleration, suspension and tyre deflection.

Keywords: ride comfort; half-vehicle models; semi-active suspension; skyhook control; ground-hook control; hybrid control; passive suspension systems; off-road vehicles; suspension systems; vehicle suspensions; vehicle handling; vehicle body acceleration; tyre deflection.

DOI: 10.1504/IJVSMT.2010.037129

International Journal of Vehicle Systems Modelling and Testing, 2010 Vol.5 No.2/3, pp.254 - 271

Received: 01 Feb 2010
Accepted: 15 Jul 2010
Published online: 25 Nov 2010 *

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