Active Suspension Systems

Anthony Griffin
Bradley Rouse
Philip Woodward
MAE 442
Dr. Klang
5/6/2005

Outline

Common Types of
Suspensions
Active Suspensions
Benefits
Disadvantages
Applications
Conclusion

Common Suspensions
Front Suspension
Solid I-Beam
Twin I-Beam
MacPherson Strut
Short-Long Arm

Rear Suspension
Non Independent
Rear Leaf Springs
Non Independent
Rear Coil Springs
Trailing Arm
Beam

Solid I-Beam

Used on trucks and other

large vehicles
Economical
Simple design
Low Maintenance
Excellent load capacity
Non-independent design
Uncomfortable ride
quality
Poor handling

Twin I-Beam

Found on many Ford

trucks
Forged, cast, or
stamped axles
Excellent load capacity
Requires special
equipment for alignment
adjustments

MacPherson Strut

One of the most

popular systems
One Control Arm
Ideal for front wheel
drive
Light weight
Economical
Good ride quality and
handling characteristics
Used for both front and
rear suspensions

Short-Long Arm

Independent design
Uses an upper and a
lower control arm
Uses either torsion
bars or coil springs
Good ride quality and
handling
characteristics
Heavy and complex
design requires a lot of
space

Rear Leaf Springs

Non-independent
design
Similar to front solid
I-beam axle
Large load carrying
capacity

Rear Coil Springs

Non-independent
design
Uses coils and
control arms instead
of leaf springs
Good load carrying
capacity

Trailing Arm

Independent Design
Uses individual
lower control arms
Uses coil springs
and shocks
Good ride quality

Rear Beam

Non-independent
design
Stamped beam
axles
Uses coil springs
and trailing arms
Light and simple
design

Active Suspension Systems

Bose Suspension

Magneto-Rheological
Technology

Bose Suspension System

Electromagnetic
motors at each wheel
instead of traditional
shocks and struts.
Sensors at various
locations to detect
body and suspension
movement.
Comparison of Factory-Installed and Bose
Suspensions: Body Motion on Bump
Course

Bose Suspension System

Uses sensor measurements to instantaneously

counteract road forces
Produces excellent ride quality and superior
control in the same system

Bose Suspension Components

Linear Electromagnetic Motor

Power Amplifier

Responds quickly enough to counter the effects of bumps and road

irregularities
Sends power to the motor during extension and returns power during
retraction

Control Algorithms

Observe sensor measurements and send commands to the power

amplifiers

Bose vs. Stock Suspension

Magneto-Rheological Technology

Dampers contain magnetic particles

suspended in fluid
Magnetic field within the fluid aligns particles
Creates resistance to movement and
increases damping
Variable magnetic field creates more or less
resistance as needed
System can change up to 1000 times per
second

Benefits
Bose Suspension

Superior comfort
Superior control
Reduces body roll during
turns
Reduces need for camber
roll during turns
Requires only 1/3 of the
power needed by the AC
Wider damping range than
Magneto-Rheological
systems

Magnetic Ride Control

Improved road handling

Improved wheel control
Smoother ride than
conventional shocks and
struts
Reduces noise and
virbations
Continuous range of
damping

Disadvantages

High initial cost

High repair costs
Complex systems

Applications
Bose Suspension

System will be offered

on high end luxury
vehicles within the
next 5 years.
The same technology
has been applied in
Military applications.

Magnetic Ride Control

Currently offered on
Cadillac SRX and Seville
STS models.
Offered on the Chevrolet
Corvette for the 2003
model year.
Mercedes S600
BMW 7 series

Active Military Application

Conclusion

Active control suspensions offer a

wider range of comfort and control
than most current suspension
systems.
Offers unmatched vehicle handling
performance.
May eventually find their way into
more common production vehicles.