Slow active suspension control for rollover prevention

Rollover prevention in of off-road vehicles presents a significant challenge for vehicle safety. This paper postulates that by reducing the body roll angle of the vehicle, the load transfer will increase and thus the lateral forces generated by the tires will be decreased. This decrease in the lateral force can cause the vehicle to slide rather than to roll over. This paper presents the possibility of using slow active suspension control to reduce the body roll and thus reduce the rollover propensity. Using a validated Adams model to simulate a double lane change manoeuvre, performed by a SUV at 60 km/h, it is shown that a significant improvement in body roll can be obtained with relatively low energy requirements. Simulation results are confirmed with experimental results.

► Simulated slow active suspension control.
► Oil pumped into or drained from each suspension unit.
► Double lane change manoeuvre used to compare baseline vs. controlled.
► Experimental test and simulations show significant improvements is possible in body roll angle.