New Generation Vehicle

Technology
Lecture 8
Peter Fussey
 Lecture 8:
Traditional and
Active Suspension
Systems
 Contents

• Functional Requirements of Suspension Systems

• Components of Suspension Systems

• Analysis and Design of Suspension Systems

• Examples
 Functional Requirements of a Suspension
System

The suspension system is essential to provide or

improve:
• Ride (Comfort) by isolating the passengers from
disturbing forces generated particularly by road
surfaces.

• Handling by maintaining contact patches of tyres

and required normal forces on the patches during
the longitudinal and lateral motions
• Stable traction and braking in spite of variation of pitch
angle
• Stable steering in spite of variation of roll and yaw
angles

• Chassis roll behaviour by resisting excessive roll

 Functional Requirements of a Suspension
System

• Design of suspension system depends on multiple

parameters. Magnitude (height) and recurrence
(frequency) of bumps (or potholes) are the main ones.
• We can sense tactile and visual vibrations with the
frequency less than 𝟐𝟓 𝑯𝒛 or less than 𝟏. 𝟏𝟑 𝒄𝒚𝒄𝒍𝒆/𝒎
at 80 𝑘𝑝ℎ (Recurrence (𝑐𝑦𝑐𝑙𝑒⁄𝑚) ×𝑉 𝑘𝑝ℎ = Recurrence (𝐻𝑧)).
• Road characteristics and suspension design are tied
to each other. For example, the suspension system is
designed to isolate roads of very low vertical
acceleration at frequencies less than 𝟐 𝑯𝒛. Otherwise,
the suspension system will amplify our body’s hit.
• It is totally different for off-road vehicles because
there is no pre-designed road characteristics and the
vehicle ideally operates at any road condition.
 Components of Suspension Systems

Main components of a traditional suspension system are:

• Tyres (wheels)
• Dampers (Shock absorbers)
• Springs

The main design questions are:

• The stiffness of springs (𝐾! )
• The stiffness of tyres (𝐾" )
• Nominal mass of wheel hub (unsprung mass - 𝑚#! ) and
vehicle body (sprung mass - 𝑚! )
• The maximum stroke of suspension
• Topology and angle of connections (Kinematics and
Compliance) for front and rear wheels

vectormotorsports.com
 Components of Suspension Systems

McPherson and Double Wishbone are the two

most common topologies for two independent
front wheels.

Pros Cons

McPherson • Less space • Limited Camber

• More compact • Limited stroke
length M. Kodati et al. “Kinematic analysis of MacPherson strut suspension
system”

Double • More robust • More space

Wishbone camber angle
• More common

https://giphy.com/explore/wishbone-suspension
 Components of Suspension Systems

Solid Axle (or live axle) is the one for the rear wheel
topologies which are not independent.

topsimages.com
 Active Suspension Systems
• Semi-active suspensions use dampers (like
Magnetorheological (MR) dampers) which their
damping coefficients are electrically controllable.
• An active suspension system, on the other hand,
is able to inject bi-directional force to the vehicle
body and wheel hub.
• Preview (look-ahead) information can also be used biser3a.com

to control semi-active or active suspensions

resulting better performance.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtbB6NFtUis
https://www.motor1.com/news/149148/2018-audi-a8-active-suspension/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Fsyyl7yQUw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkLEqfRppmM

gfycat.com
 Suspension Systems Analysis
𝑈psngr 𝜔
Passenger
• Suspension systems are normally analysed in
frequency domain as second-order systems and
for each corner of the car (quarter-car).
• The target is to analyse the comfort of the Passenger
Seats
passenger and handling of the car. (ignored)

• The isolation performance of the suspension

=
system in frequency domain is defined as the ratio
of vertical acceleration experienced by the Suspension
passenger to the road vertical acceleration: system
!
𝐺susp 𝜔
biser3a.com

𝑈psngr 𝜔 = 𝐺susp 𝜔 ! ×𝑈road 𝜔

Where 𝑈road 𝜔 is road acceleration at each frequency and: × Tyres
𝑍̈"#$%& (𝜔)
𝐺susp 𝜔 =
𝑍̈&'() (𝜔)
Road
𝑈road (𝜔) Excitation
 Suspension Systems Analysis

Quarter-car model
• While damper specifies the damping properties, the springs are
dominant components for frequency domain analysis.
• There are two masses and two springs (second-order) and
therefore two natural frequencies (natural frequency of a spring
is the frequency that a spring excited by oscillations with the
same frequency) named as 𝑓$,& and 𝑓$,#& respectively for the
sprung and unsprung masses:
Amplitude
!" !#
.(! %! ) /# ≫/" (dB)
, " , /" Amplification
𝑓$,+ = !- #
⏞
≈ (1) 0.6
+" !- +"

/# ≫/" Passing as is
, /" 2/# , /# 0
𝑓$,1+ = !- ⏞
≈ (2)
+'" !- +'"

• The design problem, hence, is to choose appropriate stiffnesses for

the given masses that the natural frequencies are located at ‘best’
values with respect to the road characteristics where the isolation Attenuation
-5
performance is maximised. Frequency
𝑓!,# 𝑓!,$# (Hz)
 Suspension Systems Analysis
Gillespie et al. “Fundamentals of Vehicle Dynamics” P130

PSD of road acceleration

Road Characteristics (𝑼road 𝝎 ) – Tarmac Roads
• Analysis is based on Power Spectrum Density (PSD) indicating the
power of the acceleration at different frequencies.
• It is shown that road acceleration has:
• Very low power density at low frequencies < 3 𝐻𝑧;
• Moderate power density at moderate frequencies between 3 𝐻𝑧 and
15 𝐻𝑧;
• High power density at high frequencies > 15 𝐻𝑧.

• Therefore, the natural frequencies must be located at lower than 15 𝐻𝑧

Gillespie et al. “Fundamentals of Vehicle Dynamics” P153

and even lower than 𝟑 𝑯𝒛.
Peak at 𝑓!,#
(̈%&'() (*)
Suspension System Characteristics (𝑮susp 𝝎 = (̈ )*+, (*)
) – Vehicle
Response
Peak at 𝑓!,$#
• 𝑓$,& is chosen to be around 1 𝐻𝑧 that typically gives a magnitude of
1.5-3.
• 𝑓$,#& is chosen to be around 10-12 𝐻𝑧.
• The tyre stiffness is usually 10-20 times more than spring stiffness
 Suspension Systems Analysis
Then 𝑈)*+,- is simply: 𝑈psngr 𝜔 = 𝐺susp 𝜔 . ×𝑈road 𝜔

Gillespie et al. “Fundamentals of Vehicle Dynamics” P153

× =
 Shock Absorbers
• Shock absorbers or dampers are typically added to reduce the size of the sprung peak or primary
ride in the response curve
• However the damper will spread the curve and increase response at higher frequencies -> Tradeoff

Sprung peak

Unsprung peak

Increasing damping

Milliken pg 791
 Example 1
• Using the front figure, derive natural frequency equations (1) and 𝑧!
(2). 𝑚% = 7𝑚

Hint: You need to write down the equations of motion for two masses, take
the Laplace transform of the equations and replace 𝑠 = 𝑗𝜔. The resulting
𝑎// 𝑎/0 𝑘! = 𝑘
equations will be in the form of 𝐴 𝑧$- 𝑧- . = 0 and 𝐴 = 𝑎 𝑎00 which is
0/ 𝑧#!
. 𝑚$% = 𝑚
valid for all 𝑧$- 𝑧- if det 𝐴 = 𝑎// 𝑎00 − 𝑎/0 𝑎0/ = 0.

• Calculate the natural frequencies if 𝑚/* = 130 𝑘𝑔 and 𝑘* = 𝑘" = 13𝑘

65 𝑘𝑁/𝑚.
Example 1

1 13𝑘*
≈
2𝜋 𝑚/*

1 𝑘*
≈
2𝜋 7𝑚/*
 Example 1
Small increase in 𝑓$,# can significantly increase the gain of the suspension system (magnitude of
𝐺susp 𝜔 ). As in the figure, the calculated value provides quite good performance.
PSD of road acceleration

Gillespie et al. “Fundamentals of Vehicle Dynamics” P155

For diff
erent 𝑓
+,*

of
l ope rve
s u
he ec
to t of th
e rt
Du s pa
thi
 Static Deflection
𝑥/

• Static deflection is the vertical equilibrium point 𝑙- 𝑘-

𝛿𝑥/

of the suspension system. It is the displacement of

𝑥0
the suspension system of a static car on a flat ℎ-,23
road due to the sprung and unsprung masses.
𝛿𝑥0
• It is shown that natural frequency of the sprung 𝑙1 𝑘1 ℎ$,23
mass decreases by increasing the static
displacement. It means:
• The stiffer suspension (less deflection), the
larger natural frequency and therefore less
comfort however better handling will be
~80mm (~3 inch)
achieved. “Pick-up Truck” 125mm (5 inch)
“Compact saloon
• The softer suspension (more deflection), the Natural
Frequency (Hz)
Car”

smaller natural frequency and therefore 254mm (10 inch)

improved comfort with the cost of handling. “Luxury Car”

• Stiffer spring produces more vertical force for a

Formula
small road disturbance causing more grip and Cars
better handling.
 Example 2
𝑥/

Assume that the unloaded diameter of wheel and length of spring are
respectively 𝑙4 and 𝑙* in meter. 𝛿𝑥/
𝑙- 𝑘-
Using virtual work principle and Figure Q4-2, determine an equation to
𝑥0
calculate the static deflection (equilibrium heave) of sprung mass (ℎ*,56 ) in
ℎ-,23
Figure Q4-1.

Hint: The static deflection (equilibrium heave) is the height of the vehicle body
𝛿𝑥0
(sprung mass) when the car is still and located on a flat road. Virtual work principle
𝑙1 𝑘1
indicates that the virtual work of a system at equilibrium state with very small virtual ℎ$,23
displacement 𝛿𝑥 is zero or in this question we can solve 𝛿𝑊 = ∑6 45/ 𝐹4 ×𝛿𝑥4 = 0 for
each of the mass.
Example 2