Simulation study of a novel self-powered active suspension system for automobiles

It has been shown in literature that a semi-active automotive suspension system can provide significant benefits compared to a passive suspension but cannot quite match the performance of a fully active suspension. However the advantage of a semi active suspension is that it consumes negligible energy and utilizes a variable damper whose damping coefficient is changed in real time, while a fully active suspension consumes significant power for its operation. This paper explores a new zero energy active suspension system that combines the advantages of the active and semi-active systems. Unlike a semi-active system in which the energy is always dissipated using a variable damper, the proposed system harvests and recycles energy to achieve active operation. It is found that the system performs as well as the active system with energy to spare for higher frequencies, while at low frequencies (below 0.8 Hz) there is inadequate energy for fully active operation.