Integrated control on MR vehicle suspension system associated with braking and steering control

This article presents a hierarchy control strategy for magneto-rheological suspension system integrated with active braking and active front steering subsystems. This is proposed for the improvement of ride comfort and vehicle stability under different kinds of driving conditions. A nonlinear complicated full vehicle model which includes the longitudinal, lateral and vertical motions is established and combined with a modified coupling 'Magic Formula' tyre model. Subsequently, the global state identification and task assignment logic are formulated by adopting several driving conditions such as the straight driving and cornering state. A fuzzy control strategy is then used for the suspension system, while a sliding mode control technique is utilised for both braking and steering systems. In order to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed control methodology, control performances such as roll angle, yaw rate and vehicle trajectory are evaluated and presented.