Smart suspension systems for bridge-friendly vehicles

In this paper, the effects of using semi-active control strategy (such as MR dampers) in vehicle suspensions on the coupled vibrations of a vehicle traversing a bridge are examined in order to develop various designs of smart suspension systems for bridge-friendly vehicles. The bridge-vehicle coupled system is modeled as a simply supported beam traversed by a two-degree-of-freedom quarter-car model. The surface unevenness on the bridge deck is modeled as a deterministic profile of a sinusoidal wave. As the vehicle travels along the bridge, the system is excited as a result of the surface unevenness and this excitation is characterized by a frequency defined by the speed of travel and the wavelength of the profile. The dynamic interactions between the bridge and the vehicle due to surface deck irregularities are obtained by solving the coupled equations of motion. Numerical results of a passive control strategy show that, when the lower natural frequency of the vehicle matches with a natural frequency (usually the first frequency) of the bridge and the excitation frequency, the maximum response of the bridge is large while the response of the vehicle is relatively smaller, meaning that the bridge behaves like a vibration absorber. This is undesirable from a bridge design viewpoint. Comparative studies of passive and semi-active controls for the vehicle suspension are performed. It is demonstrated that skyhook control can significantly mitigate the response of the bridge, while ground-hook control reduces the tire force impacted onto the bridge.

[1]  Mehdi Ahmadian,et al.  Vehicle Evaluation of the Performance of Magneto Rheological Dampers for Heavy Truck Suspensions , 2001 .

[2]  David J. Cole,et al.  Control Strategies for Semi-Active Lorry Suspensions , 1996 .

[3]  Andy Collop,et al.  Effects of ‘road friendly’ suspensions on long-term flexible pavement performance , 1997 .

[4]  Shirley J. Dyke,et al.  Semiactive Control Strategies for MR Dampers: Comparative Study , 2000 .

[5]  Mohamed Abdel-Rohman,et al.  Dynamic response of hinged-hinged single span bridges with uneven deck , 1996 .

[6]  Michael Valášek,et al.  Development of semi-active road-friendly truck suspensions , 1998 .

[7]  Anat Ruangrassamee,et al.  Semi-active control of bridges with use of magnetorheological dampers , 2001, SPIE Smart Structures and Materials + Nondestructive Evaluation and Health Monitoring.

[8]  M. Ahmadian.  On the Isolation Properties of Semiactive Dampers , 1999 .

[9]  David J. Cole,et al.  Theoretical investigation into the use of controllable suspensions to minimize road damage , 2000 .

[10]  S.J. Dyke,et al.  A comparison of semi-active control strategies for the MR damper , 1997, Proceedings Intelligent Information Systems. IIS'97.

[11]  Thomas R. Weyenberg,et al.  THE DEVELOPMENT OF ELECTRORHEOLOGICAL FLUIDS FOR AN AUTOMOTIVE SEMI-ACTIVE SUSPENSION SYSTEM , 1996 .

[12]  In-Won Lee,et al.  Vibration Control of Bridges under Moving Loads , 1998 .

[13]  Mehdi Ahmadian,et al.  A Quarter-Car Experimental Analysis of Alternative Semiactive Control Methods , 2000 .

[14]  Kyongsu Yi,et al.  A new adaptive sky-hook control of vehicle semi-active suspensions , 1999 .

[15]  Seung-Bok Choi,et al.  Control and response characteristics of a magnetorheological fluid damper for passenger vehicles , 2000, Smart Structures.

[16]  Yeong-Bin Yang,et al.  Impact response of high speed rail bridges and riding comfort of rail cars , 1999 .

[17]  Lawrence A. Bergman,et al.  An Improved Series Expansion of the Solution to the Moving Oscillator Problem , 2000 .

[18]  Dean Karnopp,et al.  Design Principles for Vibration Control Systems Using Semi-Active Dampers , 1990 .

[19]  Lawrence A. Bergman,et al.  Control oriented formulation for structures interacting with moving loads , 2001, Proceedings of the 2001 American Control Conference. (Cat. No.01CH37148).

[20]  Lawrence A. Bergman,et al.  POTHOLE-INDUCED CONTACT FORCES IN A SIMPLE VEHICLE MODEL , 2002 .

[21]  Michael Valášek,et al.  Extended Ground-Hook - New Concept of Semi-Active Control of Truck's Suspension , 1997 .

[22]  George T. Michaltsos,et al.  Dynamic Response of a Bridge With Surface Deck Irregularities , 2000 .

[23]  Guangjun Li,et al.  Field test of an intelligent stiffener for bridges at the I-35 Walnut Creek bridge , 1999 .

[24]  David J. Cole,et al.  Performance of a semi-active damper for heavy vehicles , 2000 .

[25]  Seung-Bok Choi,et al.  Vibration control of an MR seat damper for commercial vehicles , 2000, Smart Structures.

[27]  Michael J. Griffin,et al.  a Semi-Active Control Policy to Reduce the Occurrence and Severity of End-Stop Impacts in a Suspension Seat with AN Electrorheological Fluid Damper , 1997 .

[28]  Seung-Bok Choi,et al.  Field test results of a semi-active ER suspension system associated with skyhook controller , 2001 .

[29]  David J. Cole,et al.  The development of a heavy vehicle semi-active damper , 1996 .

[30]  Dean Karnopp,et al.  Vibration Control Using Semi-Active Force Generators , 1974 .

[31]  Michael Valášek,et al.  DYNAMIC MODEL OF TRUCK FOR SUSPENSION CONTROL , 1998 .

[32]  Faramarz Gordaninejad,et al.  Control of bridges using magnetorheological fluid (MRF) dampers and a fiber-reinforced composite-material column , 1998, Smart Structures.

[33]  Shirley J. Dyke,et al.  Experimental verification of multiinput seismic control strategies for smart dampers , 2001 .

[34]  Sung-Ho Hwang,et al.  Performance and design consideration for continuously controlled semi-active suspension systems , 2000 .

[35]  T Bulger,et al.  TRANSPORTATION EQUITY ACT FOR THE 21ST CENTURY (TEA 21) , 1998 .

[36]  Seung-bok Choi,et al.  Control and Response Characteristics of a Magneto-Rheological Fluid Damper for Passenger Vehicles , 2000 .