Application of Skyhook Control Strategy to Semi-active Suspension System with Magneto-Rheological (M.R) Damper for Improving the Performance of Vehicle Suspension System Traversing Steady State Road Conditions

In this paper, skyhook control strategy was applied to semi-active suspension system with magneto-rheological (M.R) damper to improve the performance of the suspension system of a vehicle traveling on a road with steady state conditions. When a vehicle travels over uneven roads at different speeds, the sprung mass and unsprung mass undertake various movements that make the chassis and driving to respond dynamically, which may affect severely the rider's comfort and general health. In order to reduce the health hazards posed by uneven roads, skyhook control strategy was applied to vehicle suspension system. The effect of the skyhook control strategy on the suspension system of the vehicle was modeled and investigated by using MATLAB/Simulink software. The outcome was compared with suspension systems without a skyhook control strategy. The results show that the weighted rms vertical acceleration value of the vehicle body reduced thereby leading to the reduction in the discomfort experienced by the riders due to the implementation of skyhook control strategy.

Keywords:

Rider’s comfort , Skyhook control , Magneto-rheological damper , Sprung mass , Semi-active suspension System , Unsprung mass