Linear virtual sensors for vertical dynamics of vehicles with controlled suspensions

Semiactive suspension control strategies require the knowledge of the suspension system state at each sampling time. The most usual configuration of sensors for semiactive suspensions consists in accelerometers measuring the vertical accelerations of the chassis and each wheel. Thus, an estimate of the system state has to be provided. The problem of designing suitable linear virtual sensors is here investigated, focusing the attention on the estimation of the relative vertical position and speed between chassis and wheel, using the data provided by just one accelerometer measuring the chassis or wheel vertical acceleration. Different Monte Carlo simulations are carried out using standard “benchmark” road profiles employed in industrial tests, in order to evaluate the estimation quality and to verify the overall approach feasibility.