Road-adaptive algorithm design of half-car active suspension system

This paper describes the application of a road-adaptive nonlinear control integrated with active suspensions into a half-car model by employing road-adaptive algorithm schemes. We augment this controller with a road-adaptive algorithm which continuously monitors suspension travel and adjusts online the shape of the filter nonlinearity in response to different road profiles. This adaptive design realizes the true potential of active suspensions, which is their ability to yield a better performance over a much wider range of road surfaces than do original backstepping control, optimal control, and passive suspensions. As a result, our road-adaptive algorithm does indeed possess the potential to achieve the desired control goals. Furthermore, some simulation results are given to illustrate the excellent performance of half-car active suspensions. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.