An adaptive pneumatic suspension system for improving ride comfort and handling

Abstract

The paper describes an adaptive pneumatic suspension system that can improve both comfort and handling. Each air spring in the vehicle is connected to an auxiliary tank via two connecting pipes of different sizes. Choosing the connecting pipe with larger diameter and shorter length renders a compliant suspension which improves comfort. Conversely, choosing the connecting pipe with smaller diameter and longer length makes the suspension stiffer which favors handling. Toggling between configurations is fast, efficient, and easily done by simply opening or closing the corresponding electrovalves. The proposed adaptive system requires a GPS receiver and access to two pieces of information regarding the road at every location: the International Roughness Index and the curve radius (if not infinite). This information is used to predict road-induced vibrations and evaluate comfort with the ISO 2631 standard, as well as forecast roll angles and settling times for handling assessment. These predictions are used to select the most appropriate configuration.