Active Suspension Systems

Anthony Griffin
Bradley Rouse
Philip Woodward

MAE 442
Dr. Klang
5/6/2005
Outline

 Common Types of
Suspensions
 Active Suspensions
 Benefits
 Disadvantages
 Applications
 Conclusion
Common Suspensions

Front Suspension Rear Suspension

 Solid I-Beam  Non Independent

 Twin I-Beam Rear Leaf Springs

 MacPherson Strut  Non Independent

 Short-Long Arm Rear Coil Springs

 Trailing Arm

 Beam
Solid I-Beam

 Used on trucks and other

large vehicles
 Economical
 Simple design
 Low Maintenance
 Excellent load capacity
 Non-independent design
 Uncomfortable ride
quality
 Poor handling
 Twin I-Beam

 Found on many Ford

trucks
 Forged, cast, or
stamped axles
 Excellent load capacity
 Requires special
equipment for alignment
adjustments
MacPherson Strut
 One of the most
popular systems
 One Control Arm
 Ideal for front wheel
drive
 Light weight
 Economical
 Good ride quality and
handling characteristics
 Used for both front and
rear suspensions
Short-Long Arm
 Independent design
 Uses an upper and a
lower control arm
 Uses either torsion
bars or coil springs
 Good ride quality and
handling
characteristics
 Heavy and complex
design requires a lot of
space
Rear Leaf Springs

 Non-independent
design
 Similar to front solid
I-beam axle
 Large load carrying
capacity
 Rear Coil Springs

 Non-independent
design
 Uses coils and
control arms instead
of leaf springs
 Good load carrying
capacity
Trailing Arm

 Independent Design
 Uses individual
lower control arms
 Uses coil springs
and shocks
 Good ride quality
 Rear Beam

 Non-independent
design
 Stamped beam
axles
 Uses coil springs
and trailing arms
 Light and simple
design
Active Suspension Systems

Bose Suspension Magneto-Rheological

Technology
 Bose Suspension System

 Electromagnetic
motors at each wheel
instead of traditional
shocks and struts.
 Sensors at various
locations to detect
body and suspension
movement.
Comparison of Factory-Installed and Bose
Suspensions: Body Motion on Bump
Course
 Bose Suspension System

 Uses sensor measurements to instantaneously

counteract road forces
 Produces excellent ride quality and superior
control in the same system
Bose Suspension Components

 Linear Electromagnetic Motor

 Responds quickly enough to counter the effects of bumps and road
irregularities
 Power Amplifier
 Sends power to the motor during extension and returns power during
retraction
 Control Algorithms
 Observe sensor measurements and send commands to the power
amplifiers
Bose vs. Stock Suspension
Magneto-Rheological Technology

 Dampers contain magnetic particles

suspended in fluid
 Magnetic field within the fluid aligns particles
 Creates resistance to movement and
increases damping
 Variable magnetic field creates more or less
resistance as needed
 System can change up to 1000 times per
second
Benefits
Bose Suspension
 Superior comfort
 Superior control
 Reduces body roll during
turns
 Reduces need for camber
roll during turns
 Requires only 1/3 of the
power needed by the AC
 Wider damping range than
Magneto-Rheological
systems
Magnetic Ride Control
 Improved road handling
 Improved wheel control
 Smoother ride than
conventional shocks and
struts
 Reduces noise and
virbations
 Continuous range of
damping
Disadvantages

 High initial cost

 High repair costs
 Complex systems
Applications

Bose Suspension Magnetic Ride Control

 System will be offered  Currently offered on
on high end luxury Cadillac SRX and Seville
vehicles within the STS models.
next 5 years.  Offered on the Chevrolet
 The same technology Corvette for the 2003
has been applied in model year.
Military applications.  Mercedes S600
 BMW 7 series
Active Military Application
Conclusion

 Active control suspensions offer a

wider range of comfort and control
than most current suspension
systems.
 Offers unmatched vehicle handling
performance.
 May eventually find their way into more
common production vehicles.