Vehicle Suspension Performance Analysis Based on Full Vehicle Model for Condition Monitoring Development

Abstract

The objective of this research is to develop a mathematical model using a seven degree-of-freedom full car. The simulation analyses were conducted to predict the response of the vehicle when driven across speed bumps of different shapes and at range of speeds. Three bump sizes were considered in this study including bump 1 (500 mm × 50 mm), bump 2 (500 mm × 70 mm), and bump 3 (500 mm × 100 mm). These were run through the model at speeds of 8, 16, 24 and 32 km/hr. The model was validated using experimental data, which was collected by driving the vehicle across the bump 1 at a speed of 8 km/h. The performance of the suspension in terms of ride comfort, road handling and stability of the vehicle were analysed and presented. The vibration analysis for different speed levels of 8, 16, 24 and 32 km/hr indicated that, the effect of vehicle speeds on the vibration of the vehicle body increases at lower speeds up to a maximum value after which it began to decrease from the optimum point with increasing vehicle speeds. The model has been used for fault detection of under-inflation of vehicle tyre by 35 %, and also to predict possible future suspension faults.