Title: An experimental comparison between semi-active and passive suspensions for air-cushion vehicles

Authors: D. Hrovat, D.L. Margolis

Addresses: Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA. ' Associate Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of California Davis, California, USA

Abstract: An experimental heave made model of a tracked air-cushion vehicle incorporating on-off semi-active (SA) damper suspension is described. Preliminary tests are conducted to assess the SA pneumatic damper characteristics. For identical sinusoidal ground inputs, the totally passive and on-off SA damping schemes are compared in terms of sprung mass vibration isolation properties. It is shown that the semi-active suspension offers significant advantages over the corresponding passive suspensions, while at the same time requiring only a small amount of control energy. Although the performance of the pneumatic SA device is judged to be adequate for the case under investigation, it is concluded that, for more demanding applications, requiring higher controller speeds of response, an hydraulic SA implementation will probably have to be used.

Keywords: passive suspensions; semi-active suspensions; semi-active dampers; conventional dampers; pneumatic dampers; air-cushion vehicles; ride comfort; on-off semi-active damping policy; logic statements; transmissibility; experimental comparison; vehicle design.

DOI: 10.1504/IJVD.1981.061072

International Journal of Vehicle Design, 1981 Vol.2 No.3, pp.308 - 321

Published online: 25 May 2014 *

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