Evaluation of the efficiency of a semi-active suspension system with PID algorithm

Abstract

     An automotive suspension system is used to regulate and quench vehicle vibrations. The stiffness of the mechanical suspension system cannot be changed, so the ride comfort of the vehicle will be affected in many cases. A semi-active suspension system is used to replace a conventional passive suspension system to improve the vehicle's stability. A semi-active suspension system uses magnetorheological dampers with fluid viscosity that can be changed based on the supplied current signal. In this paper, the authors used the PID control algorithm to control the operation of a magnetorheological damper. A quarter dynamic model is used to describe vehicle vibrations. The maximum and average results for vehicle body displacement and acceleration were compared in each investigated case. Overall, the vehicle's vibrations were significantly reduced when a semiactive suspension system was used. The experimental process can be conducted shortly to be able to evaluate the effectiveness of the controller.