Fuzzy intelligent control of automotive vibration via magneto-rheological damper

Based on analyses of characteristics of magneto-rheological (MR) damper, a hierarchical fuzzy intelligent controller is proposed for vibration control of an automotive vehicle with MR dampers. This controller consists of control level and coordination level. In the control level, a semiactive fuzzy logic controller is designed for each MR suspension system based on a hybrid control strategy of sky-hook control and ground-hook control. In the coordination level, a coordination controller is designed to coordinate the four independent semiactive fuzzy logic controllers by adjusting their output parameters according to the system feedback. To validate the results of hierarchical fuzzy intelligent control, a MR semiactive suspension control and test system is set up and is implemented on a mini bus, which is equipped with four controllable MR dampers. Test results indicate that the hierarchical fuzzy intelligent controller can effectively reduce the vertical vibration and improve the ride comfort and handle stability of automobile.