Abstract
The vehicle semi-active suspension is a typical multiple-input multiple-output system with strong couplings, actuator constraints and fast dynamics. This paper addresses the damping force regulation of shock-absorber in vehicle semi-active suspensions using an explicit model predictive control (EMPC) approach, which allows minimizing the system control objective function while satisfying the actuator constraints. The main advantage of the proposed approach is that the control law computation requirement is low, and thus the EMPC system is suitable for implementation in a standard automotive microcontroller. The design of the EMPC system consists of mathematical modeling, objective function determination, controller formulation and simulation validation. Presented simulation results verify that a superior control performance of the vehicle semi-active suspension system is achieved by the proposed EMPC control approach compared with the performance obtained using conventional control method.
Highlights
Advanced suspension systems are widely used in modern vehicles, due to their merits of improving ride comfort and handling performance.[1,2,3] In the past few decades, the active/semi-active suspension systems with advanced electronic control technology have caused extensive concern of researchers.[4]
To improve the control performance of the semi-active suspension, a variety of control methods, such as the optimal control, the sliding mode control and the fuzzy adaptive control,[7,8,9] have been adopted for the controller design. These control methods are often difficult to deal with the constraints of system states and damping force regulation when applied to the vehicle semi-active suspension.[10]
An explicit model predictive control (EMPC) controller is designed for the vehicle semi-active suspension to cope with strong couplings, actuator constraints and fast dynamics of the system
Summary
Advanced suspension systems are widely used in modern vehicles, due to their merits of improving ride comfort and handling performance.[1,2,3] In the past few decades, the active/semi-active suspension systems with advanced electronic control technology have caused extensive concern of researchers.[4]. These control methods are often difficult to deal with the constraints of system states and damping force regulation when applied to the vehicle semi-active suspension.[10]
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