Optimisation of Nonlinear Spring and Damper Characteristics for Vehicle Ride and Handling Improvement

TL;DR

This study optimizes nonlinear spring and damper characteristics for vehicle suspensions using simplified models and verifies improvements with advanced vehicle dynamics software, enhancing ride and handling performance.

Contribution

It introduces a method for optimizing nonlinear suspension components by combining simple models with realistic software validation, advancing suspension design techniques.

Findings

Optimized suspension characteristics improve ride quality.

Nonlinear optimization yields better handling performance.

Validation confirms effectiveness of the optimized designs.

Abstract

In this paper, the optimum linear/nonlinear spring and linear/nonlinear damper force versus displacement and force versus velocity characteristic functions, respectively, are determined using simple lumped parameter models of a quarter car front independent suspension and a half car rear solid axle suspension of a light commercial vehicle. The complexity of a nonlinear function optimisation problem is reduced by determining the shape a priori based on typical shapes supplied by the car manufacturer and then scaling it up or down in the optimisation process. The vehicle ride and handling responses are investigated considering models of increased complexity. The linear and nonlinear optimised spring characteristics are first obtained using lower complexity lumped parameter models. The commercial vehicle dynamics software Carmaker is then used in the optimisation as the higher complexity, more realistic model. The performance of the optimised suspension units are also verified using this more realistic Carmaker model.