Hybrid balance control of a magnetorheological truck suspension

The paper concerns an investigation into the use of controlled magnetorheological dampers for a semi-active truck suspension. A control strategy targeted to reduce road damage without penalising driver comfort is presented. A half-truck model is employed and system performance investigated via numerical simulation. A balance control algorithm (variable structure-type algorithm) based on dynamic tyre force tracking has been devised. Algorithm robustness to parametric variations as well as to real-life implementation issues such as feedback signals noise are investigated as well.The magnitude of total road damage reduction (over three axles) on a simulated random road varies with vehicle speed. The reduction was found to be 6% at 7.5 m s−1, 19% at 17.5 m s−1 and 9% at 25 m s−1.