Simulation of vehicles’ active suspension systems by means of a complex model with an external description of control systems

Abstract

The article substantiates the possibility of increasing the efficiency of vehicle suspension active systems computer simulation as well as the main methods used for it: the method of multibody models analysis (spatial dynamic models) and the method of functional and script description of the connections between the system elements: “driver - vehicle - environment”. The most common software for such models is ADAMS and Matlab Simulink, respectively, on the basis of which the comparative analysis is carried out. By comparing the advantages and disadvantages of the methods necessity of combining various modeling tools becomes obvios. It lets obtain the convenience and accuracy of the method of multibody models with system behaviour algorithms described by a suitable functional and script method. As result one receives a complex vehicle model with a physical description in the form of a multibody in ADAMS software environment and control algorithms located outside it in a specialized Matlab Simulink software environment. The usage of a simplified algorithm for controlling shock absorbers presents a simulation method for active suspension systems which combines various computer tools. This algorithm allows to change the characteristics of “soft” shock absorbers - with a low shock absorber resistance, for “rigid” ones - with a high resistance. The characteristics of the shock absorbers can vary in the multibody model depending on the transverse acceleration that occurs during the standard maneuver execution of the sinusoidal motion. Results of the presented simulation show the reliability of the proposed method and the effectiveness of the described approach to computer modeling. In addition to the simulation of active shock absorbers considered in this article, the directions and methods of applying the proposed method to other elements of the vehicle suspension as well as to the other systems, such as transmission, are presented. The successful modeling method of shock absorbers allows to consider the possibility of improving the efficiency of analysis of other vehicle systems.