Improving ride comfort by optimizing the parameters of a quarter car model with a power law damper

Abstract

Abstract Suspension systems play a very important role in the vehicle performance as they are directly linked to improve and enhance the comfort of passengers. The working of a suspension arrangement depends strongly on the selection of suspension parameters like the spring stiffness and the damping coefficient. In this present study the parameters of a passive suspension with a power law damper are optimized for motion over a bump using genetic algorithm technique keeping passenger comfort in mind. It is seen that the best combination of suspension parameters results in selection of higher damping, lower spring stiffness and a lower value of power law index. It is also seen that the increase in the values of damping power index will result in the reduction of the suspension performance.