Optimal design for passive suspension of a light rail vehicle using constrained multiobjective evolutionary search

This research proposes a systematic and effective optimization process for the design of vertical passive suspension of light rail vehicles (LRVs) using new constrained multiobjective evolution algorithms. A multibody dynamic model of the three-car train set is presented and the suspension spring and damping parameters are optimally designed. A new design of the passive suspension is aided by the use of evolution algorithms to attain the best compromise between ride quality and suspension deflections due to irregular gradient tracks. Extensive simulations are performed to verify the proposed design scheme. The preliminary results show that, when the passive suspension is optimized via the proposed approach, a substantial improvement in the vertical ride quality is obtained while keeping the suspension deflections within their allowable clearance when the light rail vehicle runs onto the worst track condition.