Ride Performance Potential of Active Fast Load Leveling Systems

The potential performance benefits of active high gain load levelers with specified configurations are investigated analytically using a quarter-car model. An analysis of the vehicle suspension systems is formulated for determining vehicle stability and response to body force and road disturbances. Both random and deterministic disturbances are considered

Optimally controlled active suspensions with and without a derivative constraint in the performance index are also investigated. Results pertaining to the two optimal systems are presented and evaluated. It is shown that the load leveler offers a viable mechanism for controlling vehicle attitude without the necessity of reducing the isolation qualities and road-holding ability of the suspension.