Quasi-active suspension design using magnetorheological dampers

Quasi-active damping is a method of coupled mechanical and control system design using multiple semi-active dampers. By designing the systems such that the desired control force may always be achieved using a combination of the dampers, quasi-active damping seeks to approach levels of vibration isolation achievable through active damping, whilst retaining the desirable attributes of semi-active systems. In this article a design is proposed for a quasi-active, base-isolating suspension system. l laws are firstly defined in a generalised form, where semi-active dampers are considered as idealised variable viscous dampers. This system is used to demonstrate in detail the principles of quasi-active damping, in particular the necessary interaction between mechanical and control systems. It is shown how such a system can produce a tunable, quasi-active region in the frequency response of very low displacement transmissibility. active control laws are then proposed which are specific for use with magnetorheological dampers. These are validated in simulation using a realistic model of the damper dynamics, again producing a quasi-active region in the frequency response. Finally, the robustness of the magnetorheological, quasi-active suspension system is demonstrated.