Adaptive impedance control of a hydraulic suspension system using particle swarm optimisation

This paper presents a novel active control approach for a hydraulic suspension system subject to road disturbances. A novel impedance model is used as a model reference in a particular robust adaptive control which is applied for the first time to the hydraulic suspension system. A scheme is introduced for selecting the impedance parameters. The impedance model prescribes a desired behaviour of the active suspension system in a wide range of different road conditions. Moreover, performance of the control system is improved by applying a particle swarm optimisation algorithm for optimising control design parameters. Design of the control system consists of two interior loops. The inner loop is a force control of the hydraulic actuator, while the outer loop is a robust model reference adaptive control (MRAC). This type of MRAC has been applied for uncertain linear systems. As another novelty, despite nonlinearity of the hydraulic actuator, the suspension system and the force loop together are presented as an uncertain linear system to the MRAC. The proposed control method is simulated on a quarter-car model. Simulation results show effectiveness of the method.     

Performance Potential and Power Consumption of Slow-Active Suspension Systems with Preview

Two possible layouts of a slow-active suspension model are analysed. Optimal control laws for different actuator bandwidths and various amounts of road preview are generated, and estimates of power consumption are made. Higher bandwidth systems (10Hz) require less preview to obtain a given level of performance than those with a lower bandwidth (3Hz) but use more energy in doing so. Similar performance is available from the two systems considered, although the second uses considerably less energy to obtain that performance.     

汽车主动悬架的自校正控制

主动悬系统能使车辆的乘坐舒适性和操纵稳定性同时得到改善，其中执行机构和控制算法的优劣决定了该系统的性能。     

Performance of Low-bandwidth, Semi-active Damping Concepts for Suspension Control

Active damping has been shown to offer increased suspension performance in terms of vehicle isolation, suspension packaging, and road-tire contact force. It can even approximate the performance of full state feedback control without requiring the difficult measurement of tire deflection. Many semi-active damping strategies have been introduced to approximate the response of active damping with the modulation of passive damping parameters. These strategies have typically required a relatively high bandwidth for actuator response. This paper investigates the simulation performance and “frequency response” of two concepts in low-bandwidth semi-active suspension control, one that sets a damping force directly and another that sets the damping resistance. The electronically controlled bandwidth of these actuators is approximately an order of magnitude less than other semi-active devices; high frequency control is handled mechanically. A quarter-car model is studied with the controlled damping replacing both passive and active damping of typical control schemes. Both low-bandwidth damping strategies perform remarkably well compared to both active and high-bandwidth, semi-active damping. In certain dynamic performances, the new semi-active strategies outperform active damping and what the author calls “nominal” semi-active damping.     

Performance of Low-bandwidth,Semi-active Damping Concepts for Suspension Control

Abstract

Active damping has been shown to offer increased suspension performance in terms of vehicle isolation, suspension packaging, and road-tire contact force. It can even approximate the performance of full state feedback control without requiring the difficult measurement of tire deflection. Many semi-active damping strategies have been introduced to approximate the response of active damping with the modulation of passive damping parameters. These strategies have typically required a relatively high bandwidth for actuator response. This paper investigates the simulation performance and “frequency response” of two concepts in low-bandwidth semi-active suspension control, one that sets a damping force directly and another that sets the damping resistance. The electronically controlled bandwidth of these actuators is approximately an order of magnitude less than other semi-active devices; high frequency control is handled mechanically. A quarter-car model is studied with the controlled damping replacing both passive and active damping of typical control schemes. Both low-bandwidth damping strategies perform remarkably well compared to both active and high-bandwidth, semi-active damping. In certain dynamic performances, the new semi-active strategies outperform active damping and what the author calls “nominal” semi-active damping.     

Validation of the Harshness Problem of Automotive Active Suspensions

The advantages of an automotive fully active suspension system have been promised for many years. Among them, simultaneously achieving good body and wheel mode damping is of the most fundamental. However, implementations of such concepts with hydraulic actuators have generally exhibit worse-than-passive harshness performance when such vehicles are driven through small irregularities on the road. Additional forces are transmitted through the hydraulic active suspension to the vehicle body at high frequencies. Conventional wisdom blames the non-ideal actuator in practice for the problem since most analytical papers assume it an ideal force-producing element. However, the mechanism of generating such excessive force as well as the methodology of solving it has not been systematically demonstrated in the literature. In this paper, a high fidelity mathematical quarter vehicle model is first developed and identified with vehicle test data. This model captures realistic dynamic behaviors of the hydraulic active suspension. The mechanism of creating such harshness problem is then explained with this model. To validate such mechanism, a frequency domain methodology that yields an equal-to-passive high frequency performance while maintaining a good active body behavior was developed based on this model and demonstrated with a test vehicle. The model predicts the test results almost exactly.     

Fuzzy and adaptive fuzzy control for the automobiles' active suspension system

Two typical criteria for good vehicle suspension performance are their ability to provide good road handling and increased passenger comfort. The main disturbance affecting these two criteria is terrain irregularities. Active suspension control systems reduce these undesirable effects by isolating car body motion from vibrations at the wheels. This paper describes fuzzy and adaptive fuzzy control (AFC) schemes for the automobile active suspension system (ASS). The design objective is to provide smooth vertical motion so as to achieve the road holding and riding comfort over a wide range of road profiles. The efficacy of the proposed control schemes is demonstrated via simulations. With respect to the optimal linear quadratic regulator (LQR), it is shown that superior results have been achieved by the AFC.     

Fuzzy and adaptive fuzzy control for the automobiles’ active suspension system

Two typical criteria for good vehicle suspension performance are their ability to provide good road handling and increased passenger comfort. The main disturbance affecting these two criteria is terrain irregularities. Active suspension control systems reduce these undesirable effects by isolating car body motion from vibrations at the wheels. This paper describes fuzzy and adaptive fuzzy control (AFC) schemes for the automobile active suspension system (ASS). The design objective is to provide smooth vertical motion so as to achieve the road holding and riding comfort over a wide range of road profiles. The efficacy of the proposed control schemes is demonstrated via simulations. With respect to the optimal linear quadratic regulator (LQR), it is shown that superior results have been achieved by the AFC.     

Optimisation of active suspension control inputs for improved performance of active safety systems

A collocation-type control variable optimisation method is used to investigate the extent to which the fully active suspension (FAS) can be applied to improve the vehicle electronic stability control (ESC) performance and reduce the braking distance. First, the optimisation approach is applied to the scenario of vehicle stabilisation during the sine-with-dwell manoeuvre. The results are used to provide insights into different FAS control mechanisms for vehicle performance improvements related to responsiveness and yaw rate error reduction indices. The FAS control performance is compared to performances of the standard ESC system, optimal active brake system and combined FAS and ESC configuration. Second, the optimisation approach is employed to the task of FAS-based braking distance reduction for straight-line vehicle motion. Here, the scenarios of uniform and longitudinally or laterally non-uniform tyre–road friction coefficient are considered. The influences of limited anti-lock braking system (ABS) actuator bandwidth and limit-cycle ABS behaviour are also analysed. The optimisation results indicate that the FAS can provide competitive stabilisation performance and improved agility when compared to the ESC system, and that it can reduce the braking distance by up to 5% for distinctively non-uniform friction conditions.     

Active controller design for an electromagnetic energy-regenerative suspension

In this paper, with the parameters acquired from measured and tested data, a three-phase mathematical model is applied to the motor component of the developed electromagnetic suspension actuator. A main/inner-loop structure is used for its active control, and the constraints of the control current and energy flow states of actuator are analyzed by simplifying the inner-loop control system. Two different control modes, i.e., Consumptive Full Active (CFA) and Regenerative Semi Active (RSA) modes, which emphasize vibration control of sprung mass and vibration energy regeneration caused by road roughness, respectively, are proposed. Simulations are carried out using different road conditions, and the results demonstrate that the CFA mode can improve vehicle ride comfort by more than 30 percent, despite battery energy consumption; in RSA mode, the ride comfort can be improved by up to 10 percent with the battery charged by regenerated energy.     

兼具馈能与主动抗侧倾功能的电控液压悬架系统设计与研究

为解决特种车辆或载重车辆在极端工况下易侧翻的问题,提出了一种兼具馈能与主动抗侧倾功能的电控液压悬架系统。对该悬架系统的主动抗侧倾模式和馈能模式进行了功能原理设计与分析;针对主动抗侧倾模式与馈能模式,构建了电液悬架系统仿真模型;设计了电液悬架系统主动抗侧倾模糊PID控制策略和侧倾力矩分配方案,以及执行机构逻辑门限值控制策略,并基于Matlab/Simulink、TruckSim和AMESim仿真软件,搭建了电液悬架系统主动抗侧倾控制策略联合仿真平台;对装配有电液悬架系统的车辆模型在极限工况下的抗侧倾性能进行仿真分析,并对车辆在随机路面激励输入下的馈能特性进行仿真分析。结果表明,装配该电液悬架的特种车辆具备较强的防侧翻能力,并具有较好的悬架运动能量回收潜力。     

Self-powered active control applied to a truck cab suspension

A method of active vibration control using regenerated vibration energy, i.e. self-powered active control, applied to the cab suspension of a heavy duty truck. In the proposed system, an electric generator that is installed in the suspension of the chassis regenerates vibration energy and stores it in the condenser. An actuator in the cab suspension achieves active vibration control using the energy stored in the condenser. Numerical simulations and basic experiments demonstrate better isolation performance of the self-powered active vibration control system than that of a passive and a semi-active control.     

Optimal Linear Active Suspensions with Vibration Absorbers and Integral Output Feedback Control

The bandwidth of the body response to a road input in an active suspension may be considerably reduced if the axle motions are independently controlled and if, at the same time, the effects of static and dynamic loads are counteracted by integral action in the body force control system. The paper presents a further application of the Ferguson-Rekasius method, leading to optimal output control with incomplete state feedback. To achieve narrow bandwidth body response the support springs are replaced by hydraulic actuators, and vibration absorbers or active wheel dampers are employed for the control of the axle motions. Active wheel damping is the more effective and gives good results. Proportional-plus-integral control action is shown to reduce the transient body displacements due to external forces.     

A new active variable stiffness suspension system using a nonlinear energy sink-based controller

This paper presents the active case of a variable stiffness suspension system. The central concept is based on a recently designed variable stiffness mechanism which consists of a horizontal control strut and a vertical strut. The horizontal strut is used to vary the load transfer ratio by actively controlling the location of the point of attachment of the vertical strut to the car body. The control algorithm, effected by a hydraulic actuator, uses the concept of nonlinear energy sink (NES) to effectively transfer the vibrational energy in the sprung mass to a control mass, thereby reducing the transfer of energy from road disturbance to the car body at a relatively lower cost compared to the traditional active suspension using the skyhook concept. The analyses and simulation results show that a better performance can be achieved by subjecting the point of attachment of a suspension system, to the chassis, to the influence of a horizontal NES system.     

电磁主动悬架的设计及仿真研究

基于电磁学原理,利用电磁铁作为主动悬架的作动器,构造出电磁作动器的一般结构。在1/4汽车悬架的基础上,建立了电磁主动悬架的非线性模型,并应用现代控制理论设计了该模型的次优控制器,对该模型进行分析、仿真。模拟结果表明,电磁悬架能够实现一般主动悬架的功能,满足车辆平顺性的要求,可以适用于汽车的悬架系统。     

Development of Preview Active Suspension Control System and Performance Limit Analysis by Trajectory Optimization

The main role of the suspension system is to achieve ride comfort by reducing vibrations generated by the road roughness. The active damper is getting much attention due to its reduced cost and ability to enhance ride comfort especially when the road ahead is measurable by an environment sensor. In this study a preview active suspension control system was developed in order to improve ride comfort when the vehicle is passing over a speed bump. The control system consists of a feedback controller based on the skyhook logic and a feedforward controller for canceling out the road disturbance. The performance limit for the active suspension control system was computed via trajectory optimization to provide a measure against which to compare and validate the performance of the developed controller. The simulation results indicated that the controller of this study could enhance ride comfort significantly over the active suspension control system employing only the skyhook feedback control logic. Also the developed controller, by displaying similar control pattern as the trajectory optimization during significant time portions, proved that its control policy is legitimate.     

Adaptive Control of Vehicle Suspension

An adaptive control scheme for a two-degree-of-freedom vehicle model with active suspension is proposed. The performance goal is to minimize the variance of vehicle body acceleration under inequality constraints imposed on the variance of either tire or suspension deflection. An active suspension is adapted to the changes in vehicle velocity and the type of road (or terrain) surface which is assumed to be reconstructable from the accelerometer measurements. The control gain factors are obtained by the iterative method taking advantage of stochastic linear control theory. The performance of the system is evaluated and compared to that of an active system with constant gain factors and a passive system with adjustable parameters.     

Optimal Linear Active Suspensions with Vibration Absorbers and Integral Output Feedback Control

SUMMARY

The bandwidth of the body response to a road input in an active suspension may be considerably reduced if the axle motions are independently controlled and if, at the same time, the effects of static and dynamic loads are counteracted by integral action in the body force control system. The paper presents a further application of the Ferguson-Rekasius method, leading to optimal output control with incomplete state feedback. To achieve narrow bandwidth body response the support springs are replaced by hydraulic actuators, and vibration absorbers or active wheel dampers are employed for the control of the axle motions. Active wheel damping is the more effective and gives good results. Proportional-plus-integral control action is shown to reduce the transient body displacements due to external forces.     

Actively controlled vehicle suspension with energy regeneration capabilities

The paper presents an innovative dual purpose automotive suspension topology, combining for the first time the active damping qualities with mechanical vibrations power regeneration capabilities. The new configuration consists of a linear generator as an actuator, a power processing stage based on a gyrator operating under sliding mode control and dynamics controllers. The researched design is simple and energetically efficient, enables an accurate force–velocity suspension characteristic control as well as energy regeneration control, with no practical implementation constraints imposed over the theoretical design. Active damping is based on Skyhook suspension control scheme, which enables overcoming the passive damping tradeoff between high- and low-frequency performance, improving both body isolation and the tire's road grip. The system-level design includes configuration of three system operation modes: passive, semi–active or fully active damping, all using the same electro-mechanical infrastructure, and each focusing on different objective: dynamics improvement or power regeneration. Conclusively, the innovative hybrid suspension is theoretically researched, practically designed and analysed, and proven to be feasible as well as profitable in the aspects of power regeneration, vehicle dynamics improvement and human health risks reduction.     

An Original Feedback Control with a Reversible Electromechanical Actuator Used as an Active Isolation System for a Seat Suspension. Part II: Experimental Study

From the theoretical study presented in [1], we investigate the experimental feasibility of the active seat suspension to improve ride comfort. The prototype of the reversible electromechanical actuator used in the active seat suspension is presented. First, the kinematic guide with a vertical auto-levelling system is described. Second, the electromechamical actuator and the power drive transmission are presented. It is noticed that the prototype design is achieved with a systemic approach taking into account the industrial constraints. Then, the laboratory experimental setup is described. Several tests are performed on the prototype for model validation and performance purposes. Correct force feedback control in the actuator is verified. The real performances of the active seat suspension on a prototype is investigated for different pertubation inputs. Experimental results clearly show the efficiency of the active seat suspension to improve passenger comfort and demonstrate its feasability.