A Comparison of Ride Performance of Hydro-Pneumatic Suspension System with Those of Rubber and Leaf Suspension Systems

Abstract

The objectives of this study is to compare the performance of the hydro-pneumatic suspension system of heavy truck on cab ride comfort with rubber and leaf springs of suspension systems. To compare the three types of suspension systems, a three-dimensional dynamic model of heavy truck with 15 degrees of freedom (DOF) is established based on Zhou Changfeng model under random excitation of road surface for simulation and analysis. The root mean square (r. m. s) acceleration of the vertical cabin, pitch angle, and roll angle of cabin is chosen as objective functions. Matlab/Simulink software is used to simulate and calculate the values of objective functions. The ride performance of the hydro-pneumatic suspension system on vehicle is analyze and compared to two other supension systems when vehicle operates under different operating conditions. The results show that the values of objective functions with the hydro-pneumatic suspension system are significantly reduced in comparison with the rubber and leaf suspension system. The ride performance of Hydro-pneumatic suspension system is much better than that of the rubber and leaf suspension systems.

The Evolution of Vehicle Pneumatic Vibration Isolation: A Systematic Review

“…Also, air suspension is one of the most efective vibration isolation systems suitable for providing the needed comfort for drivers of such vehicles, thus reducing driver fatigue and improving driving safety [123]. In some applications, such as construction trucks, tractors, and other agriculture vehicles where metallic springs are used for road-chassis vibration isolation, the cabin subsuspension system mostly relies on pneumatic springs for optimal vibration isolation [124][125][126]. Farm tractors' vibration isolation was improved by installing two hydropneumatic suspensions at the cabin's two rear mounting positions and a semiactive optimal control algorithm [123][124][125].…”

“…Since the inception of pneumatic springs in cabin suspension, various modules have been explored and developed. Longa et al conducted a study to compare the performance of diferent suspension systems in heavy trucks, specifcally the hydropneumatic suspension system with rubber and leaf spring suspension systems, in terms of cab ride comfort [124]. Te study analyzed the root mean square (rms) acceleration of the vertical cabin, pitch angle, and roll angle of the cabin.…”

“…For instance, one study established a 3D dynamic model with 13 degrees of freedom to control the cab's isolation system of heavy trucks using a fuzzy logic controller [131]. Moreover, the ride comfort of an agriculture tractor was improved using a linear quadratic Gaussian semiactive hydropneumatic suspension model, which was found to be a better vibration isolator compared to a passive cab suspension based on the ISO 2631 ride comfort index [124]. Tese studies highlight the importance of pneumatic suspension systems in heavy trucks and the need to optimize their performance for better ride comfort and road surface friendliness.…”