Comparing the Performance of Using a Smart Damper in a Semi-Active ‎‎Suspension Instead of a Traditional Damper Using MATLAB/Simulink

Abstract

‎ Given the importance of comfort and safety in various driving circumstances, the suspension system emerges as the most ‎crucial component. Two different suspension systems, passive (PSS) and semi-active (SASS), are compared for effectiveness in ‎this research. MATLAB/Simulink is used for simulation, employing a representative two-degree-of-freedom car model to ‎evaluate and compare the performance results of these systems. The differential equations of motion for the two systems are ‎modeled and simulated using software, which illuminates how they would behave under the same parameters and ‎circumstances. Additionally, a Magnetorheological damper (MR) model with a ¼ vehicle system is used to evaluate its behavior ‎on various types of roads, including those with steps, bumps, and random inputs. This study utilizes the Bingham plastic model ‎to compare the simulation results of SASS and PSS systems. After comparing the numerical and graphical results from the two ‎systems, it is observed that SASSs with controllers perform better than PSSs in terms of suspension adjustment and response ‎time. The SASS is superior to the PSS in suppressing oscillations by 55.12%, 77.47%, and 86.78% for step input, bump, and ‎random inputs, respectively. Additionally, the SASS is faster in eliminating oscillations compared to the PSS by 54% and 51.7% ‎for step input and bump inputs, respectively. ‎ ‎