On the Development of a Real-Time Embedded Digital Controller for Heavy Truck Semiactive Suspensions

A digital controller was designed for a semiactive primary suspension for a class 8 highway truck. The controller used a skyhook policy (where the semiactive damper simulates a damper between the sprung mass and an inertial reference) to control magneto-rheological dampers placed on the truck 's primary suspension in response to measurements made by accelerometers placed on the axle and the truck frame. The completed system was then tested for both random noise (on highway driving) and impulse (speed bump) response. The test results showed that for the damping tuning and controller arrangements used in this study, semiactive dampers do not offer any significant benefits in reducing overall vibration levels at the truck frame or axles. The semiactive dampers, however, provided better control of the dynamic transients, such as roll and pitch induced by hitting speed bumps, as compared to passive dampers. Further assessment of the magneto-rheological damper's tuning and the skyhook control policy is needed to establish any definitive conclusions on the potential benefits of semiactive magneto-rheological suspensions for heavy trucks.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science

Level thesis:degree_level

masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Electrical Engineering

Department dc:contributor.department

Electrical Engineering

Grantor dc:publisher

Virginia Tech

Year dc:date.issued

1998

Author dc:creator

• McLellan, Neil Scott

Chair dc:contributor.committeechair

• Baumann, William T.

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Bay, John S.
• Ahmadian, Mehdi

• Semiactive
• Suspension
• Heavy
• Truck
• Controller
• Magneto-rheological
• Skyhook

Statement dc:rights

• In Copyright

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Dc Identifier Other

etd-61998-21473

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/36852