Proportional Controller-based Active Suspension System

The aim of this paper is to develop an active suspension system using a proportional control system. Traditionally, automotive suspension system design has been a compromise between three conflicting criteria: passenger comfort, suspension travel, and road-holding. In conventional suspension systems, a passenger experiences discomfort when a vehicle runs over a bump on the road and vibration is not completely isolated. To overcome this problem, an active suspension system has been developed. A quarter-car model has been used for developing the system, and the hardware-in-loop (HIL) technique is used. In this research, experiments were conducted on both active and passive suspension systems, and performance characteristics were evaluated. It was found that the active suspension is capable of dampening most of the vibrations from the unsprung mass and provides the passenger with the maximum comfort level. The quarter-car model can also be used as a computerized test rig for testing suspension systems in industries.