Influence of MR damper modeling on vehicle dynamics

The influence of magneto-rheological damper modeling in vehicle dynamics analysis is studied. Several tests using CarSim(TM) compare a four-corner controlled semi-active suspension for two different magneto-rheological damper models. The magneto-rheological damper characteristics were identified from experimental data. A model-free controller discards the influence of control and emphasizes the compliance of the magneto-rheological damper model; the characteristics of the vehicle index performance considered were comfort, road holding, handling, roll and suspension deflection. The comparison for magneto-rheological damper dynamics and semi-active suspension covers the automotive bandwidth. The results show that high precision of a magneto-rheological damper model as an isolated feature is not enough. The magneto-rheological damper model, as a component of a vehicle suspension, needs to simulate with passive precision and variable damping forces. The findings exhibit the requisite of accurate models for evaluation of semi-active control systems in classic tests. The lack of the friction component in a magneto-rheological damper model leads to an overestimation in handling and stability.