Application of Semi Active Inerter in Semi Active Suspensions Via Force Tracking

Abstract

This paper investigates the application of semiactive inerter in semiactive suspension. A semiactive inerter is defined as an inerter whose inertance can be adjusted within a finite bandwidth by online control actions. A forcetracking approach to designing semiactive suspension with a semiactive inerter and a semiactive damper is proposed in this paper. Two parts are required in the forcetracking strategy: a target active control law and a proper algorithm to adjust the inertance and the damping coefficient online to track the target active control law. The target active control law is derived based on the statederivative feedback control methodology in the “reciprocal statespaceâ€‌ (RSS) framework, which has the advantage that it is straightforward to use the acceleration information in the controller design. The algorithm to adjust the inertance and the damping coefficient is to saturate the active control force between the maximal and the minimal achievable suspension forces of the semiactive suspension. Both a quartercar model and a fullcar model are considered in this paper. Simulation results demonstrate that the semiactive suspension with a semiactive inerter and a semiactive damper can track the target active control force much better than the conventional semiactive suspension (which only contains a semiactive damper) does. As a consequence, the overall performance in ride comfort, suspension deflection, and road holding is improved, which effectively demonstrates the necessity and the benefit of introducing semiactive inerter in vehicle suspension.