Comparative study of steady-state handling performance of a vehicle with planar and conventional suspension systems

A planar suspension system (PSS) is a novel suspension system in which the rather stiff linkages in the longitudinal direction between the chassis and the wheels of a conventional suspension system are replaced by spring-damping st rut. A vehicle with such systems can effectively isolate vibrations and absorb shocks induced by road obstacles along any direction in the wheel rotation plane. However, the longitudinal strut can induce changes in the wheelbase and the normal wheel loads at the front and rear wheels. Such changes can affect the steady-state tyre-ground adhesion/friction forces, and may further affect the steady-state handling behaviour of a PSS vehicle. This paper presents a comparative study of the steady-state handling performance of a vehicle with planar and conventional suspension systems. The handling behaviour of a vehicle with PSS, in terms of yaw velocity gain, lateral acceleration gain and curvature response in the steady-state, is investigated and compared with that of a similar vehicle with conventional suspension systems. The results demonstrate that the proposed concept of a PSS is feasible in terms of steady-state handling performance. Copyright © 2010 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.