Design, Parameter Optimisation, and Performance Analysis of Active Tuned Inerter Damper (TID) Suspension for Vehicle

The inherent inertia of active actuators can adversely affect the performance of vehicle suspension systems, which has been a long-standing problem in suspension design. To overcome this problem, an active tuned inerter damper (TID) suspension is designed based on a combination of an active actuator and an inerter, merging the inherent inertia of the former into the inertia of the latter. However, several parameters are involved in active TID suspension, requiring much time and resource to optimise via numerical method. Based on the H2-norm of a quarter-car model, an analytical-solution-based parameter optimisation method that simplifies the process of obtaining the optimal suspension parameters is proposed. Stability analysis is performed algebraically using the Hurwitz criterion, verifying that the parameters obtained using this method can ensure the stability of the suspension. The advantages of active TID suspensions are demonstrated via performance comparison against a variety of suspensions. The results show that the active TID suspension can change the actuator inertia from a harmful to a favourable factor, greatly improve the ultimate capacity of the suspension, and improve vehicle comfort without changing the tire load.

Automated summary

In this study, an active tuned inerter damper (TID) suspension is designed to overcome the adverse effects of inherent inertia in vehicle suspension systems. An analytical-solution-based parameter optimisation method is proposed to simplify the process of obtaining the optimal suspension parameters. The stability of the suspension is verified using algebraic stability analysis. Performance comparison demonstrates the advantages of the active TID suspension in improving suspension capacity and vehicle comfort.