Nonlinear adaptive semiactive control of a half-vehicle model via hardware in the loop simulation

In this study, vehicle body vibrations are semiactively controlled using a nonlinear adaptive controller designed to improve passenger comfort by guaranteeing closed loop system stability under variable road disturbances with parametric uncertainty. Semiactive vibration control is implemented to the system through the magnetorheological damper. The MR damper test system is established in laboratory conditions, and the required values that are measured from the test system are used in computer simulations via the hardware in the loop simulation (HILS) method. By this way, it is possible to avoid the financial and other difficulties of the experimental study by establishing the test system completely, and also the hesitations that may arise in terms of producing realistic results of pure simulation studies of nonlinear dynamics. A 4-degree-of-freedom half-vehicle model is developed to examine the vehicle body bounce and pitch movements, and simulations are carried out under bump and random road irregularities, and the results are presented in comparison with the performance of the conventional skyhook controller. The performances of both controllers are interpreted from the aspect of acceleration and displacement responses of the vibrations and related criteria. As a result, the vibration reduction performances of both controllers are investigated experimentally using the HILS test system and the obtained results are evaluated with some comparative figures, performance criteria, and root mean square averages of vibrations.