Applying semi-active friction damping to elastic supports for automotive applications

In this paper the authors present a semi-active damping device based on a friction contact for application in elastic supports of the car chassis where vibration isolation and damping are required. The control strategy presented allows optimal vibration isolation because damping is only introduced when specific selectable frequencies are excited. It turns out that in this application the control policy does not require a complex friction model with inherent velocity dynamics. The acoustic performance of the controlled semi-active damper is much better than that of a comparable passive friction damper.