Title: Relative ride performance analysis of a torsio-elastic suspension applied to front, rear and both axles of an off-road vehicle

Authors: Mu Chai; Subhash Rakheja; Wen-Bin Shangguan

Addresses: School of Mechanical and Automotive Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510641, China ' School of Mechanical and Automotive Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510641, China; CONCAVE Research Centre, Concordia University, Montreal, Canada (on sabbatical leave) ' School of Mechanical and Automotive Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510641, China

Abstract: Relative ride performance potentials of a torsio-elastic suspension applied to front or rear or both axles of an off-road vehicle are investigated. A three-dimensional vehicle model, incorporating a torsio-elastic suspension, is used to evaluate relative ride responses with different suspension arrangements. The model validity is demonstrated using the reported field-measured responses of a rear-suspended forestry vehicle. The optimal parameters of the suspension configurations are identified by minimising the vector sum of a_v and frequency-weighted rotational vibration. Relative ride performance potentials of different suspensions are subsequently investigated for the loaded and unloaded vehicle in terms of frequency-weighted rms accelerations. The results show that the torsio-elastic suspension is relatively insensitive to variations in vehicle load. It is shown that the suspension applied to axle of the vehicle unit supporting driver cabin is more effective in limiting driver vibration, while preserving effective roll stiffness. The fully-suspended vehicle, however, yields most effective vibration attenuation.

Keywords: off-road vehicle ride; off-road terrain; torsio-elastic suspension; cut-off frequency; ride performance; whole-body vibration; simulation; rms acceleration; roll stiffness; load sensitivity; suspension optimisation.

DOI: 10.1504/IJHVS.2019.102683

International Journal of Heavy Vehicle Systems, 2019 Vol.26 No.6, pp.765 - 789

Received: 07 Oct 2016
Accepted: 26 Apr 2017
Published online: 02 Oct 2019 *

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