Semi-active Chassis Suspension for Terrain Vehicle : Study at Scania AB

Sammanfattning

The aim of this study is to investigate the performances of semi-active suspension systems onto Scania AB terrain vehicles. This will be conducted by assessing the potential benefits for the road handling by implementing controllable dampers on 4x4 Scania AB chassis. The goal of the study is to conduct Multi-Body Simulation (MBS) on a virtual rugged terrain to analyze the impacts on parameters influencing the road-holding. The simulations will be performed through co-simulation between Adams and Matlab/Simulink. The truck will be modeled in Adams, and the shock absorbers will be controlled using a control algorithm developed in Matlab/Simulink. A comparison will be made between the results of the vehicle equipped with a passive damping system and those of the vehicle equipped with semi-active shock absorbers. Different scenarios will be explored based on the road profile, vehicle payload and driving speed. The ultimate goal is to identify benefits and/or challenges associated with integrating this system into the vehicle and to provide recommendations for future development. This study has demonstrated that, across all tested scenarios in the co-simulations, no significant improvements in road-holding or comfort were observed with the semiactive dampers. The main reasons identified include the inherent stiffness of the suspension system and the use of rigid axles, which limit suspension travel and the independent movement of the wheels. While the simplicity of the control algorithm may also contribute to the results, it is more likely that the mechanical and dynamic characteristics have a more substantial impact on performance. These findings suggest that, passive dampers may be as effective as semi-active dampers for off-road Scania AB vehicles.