Title: Combined design and robust control of a vehicle passive/active suspension

Authors: S.F. Alyaqout; P.Y. Papalambros; A. Galip Ulsoy

Addresses: Department of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering and Petroleum, Kuwait University, P.O. Box: 5969, Safat 13060, Kuwait ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering and Petroleum, Kuwait University, P.O. Box: 5969, Safat 13060, Kuwait ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering and Petroleum, Kuwait University, P.O. Box: 5969, Safat 13060, Kuwait

Abstract: An approach that combines passive and active elements to improve the robustness of a vehicle suspension system with respect to a worst-case scenario is introduced, and leads to a coupled optimisation problem that is often difficult to solve. A sequential strategy that depends on the strength of coupling and optimises the passive elements first, and then the active elements, reduces computational effort. Varying such parameters as level of uncertainty, tyre stiffness, and unsprung mass parameters leads to a relationship between coupling and robustness of the control. Results show that coupling between design and robust control increases as uncertainty increases.

Keywords: suspension design; robust control; vehicle suspension systems; vehicle design; coupled optimisation; uncertainty; tyre stiffness; unsprung mass parameters; sequential strategy.

DOI: 10.1504/IJVD.2012.048975

International Journal of Vehicle Design, 2012 Vol.59 No.4, pp.315 - 330

Received: 23 Oct 2009
Accepted: 15 Jun 2010
Published online: 23 Apr 2013 *

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