Use of active suspension control to counter the effects of vehicle payloads

This paper discusses the effects of payload changes in heavy machinery and a suspension control system to compensate for these changes. A half vehicle model is used in which the vertical and pitch motions of the mass supported by the suspension and the vertical motion of the suspension masses are considered. Upon receiving a load, the dynamics of a vehicle can change significantly. To simulate the change in vehicle load, the center of mass is moved and the total mass is increased. Various load changes are simulated by changing the amount by which the center of mass moves and varying the increase in the total mass. Suspension performance is measured for unloaded and loaded vehicles, and for loaded vehicles with passive and active suspension systems. Actively controlled suspensions systems are shown to improve vehicle dynamics for both front and rear-loaded vehicles.