Active Suspension Actuation for Ride Height and Haptic Braking
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current motion control systems in vehicles fail to effectively manage ride height and oscillations across a range of frequencies, leading to discomfort and potential motion sickness, while also lacking efficient mechanisms for haptic feedback and augmented braking.
Innovation Solution
A fully-actuated suspension system incorporating hydraulically-driven piston and variable pressure air spring actuators, which adjust ride height and attenuate oscillations through high-frequency actuation, providing haptic feedback and augmented braking by displacing the unsprung mass in a high-frequency sequence.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a fully-actuated suspension system with hydraulic piston and variable pressure air spring is used, then ride comfort and oscillation attenuation are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The suspension system is divided into two independent actuation mechanisms: a variable pressure air spring for low-frequency oscillation attenuation and ride height control, and a hydraulic piston for high-frequency oscillation attenuation. This segmentation allows each component to specialize in specific frequency ranges, improving overall ride comfort while maintaining manageable complexity through functional decomposition.
Solution Approach 2:
The suspension actuator is designed to perform multiple functions: it adjusts ride height, attenuates low-frequency oscillations via the air spring, and attenuates high-frequency oscillations via the hydraulic piston. This multi-functionality consolidates what could be separate systems into a single integrated actuator, improving ride comfort without proportionally increasing device complexity.
2Loss of information
If high-frequency actuation is used to provide haptic feedback and augmented braking, then communication effectiveness and braking performance are improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The hydraulic piston executes periodic high-frequency actuations to generate haptic feedback and enhance braking. By using periodic rather than continuous actuation, the system provides effective haptic communication and braking assistance only when needed, reducing overall power consumption while maintaining communication effectiveness and braking performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the pressure parameter in the air spring and the actuation frequency of the hydraulic piston to optimize performance across different operating conditions. By adjusting these parameters dynamically, the system achieves effective haptic feedback and augmented braking while minimizing power consumption through efficient parameter selection.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system reduces power consumption, enhances ride comfort by mitigating low-frequency oscillations, provides effective haptic communication, and shortens braking distance through increased contact area and coefficient of friction.
Implementation Method 1
a variable pressure air spring which adjusts the neutral suspension position based on a particular set of command signals received from a control system
Implementation Method 2
a hydraulically-driven piston assembly configured to be actuated to cause a displacement motion of the actuator from the neutral suspension position based on a separate set of command signals received from the control system
Implementation Method 3
the motion control system includes one or more springs, dampers, etc. which dampen the effects of variations in height of the first mass upon the height of the second mass above the surface
Implementation Method 4
causes the wheel assembly to be displaced towards a surface upon which the wheel assembly is located, based on generation of a braking command to the braking system to exert at least some braking pressure on the wheel assembly
Data Source
AI summary
A motion control system is coupled to a first mass and a second mass and is configured to regulate motion of the first mass with respect to the second mass. The motion control system is configured to increase a contact area between the second mass and a surface on which the second mass rests by increasing a displacement of the motion control system from a neutral position in a direction toward the first mass.