Suspension Damper Fault Detection via Oscillation Comparison
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Solution Overview
Problem
Detecting and classifying suspension damper faults in semi-active vehicle suspensions is difficult, necessitating a method for quick and accurate fault detection to ensure accurate suspension adjustment.
Innovation Solution
A control system with a first and second sensor suite and a controller that determines damping oscillation magnitude data, compares it across suspension dampers, and classifies their operation states, cycling through each damper to identify faults, using tolerance ranges and preset deviations to differentiate between normal and fault states.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If semi-active suspensions are used to continuously modify damping levels, then suspension adjustment accuracy is improved, but fault detection difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system excites the suspension damper with a mechanical impulse (e.g., through road input or active actuation) and measures the resulting oscillation response. By analyzing the damping oscillation magnitude and decay characteristics of the vibration, the system can detect faults in the damper without requiring direct access to internal damper components, thus resolving the contradiction between maintaining adjustment accuracy and enabling fault detection.
2Loss of time
If fault detection methods are simplified, then detection speed is improved, but measurement precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs a two-stage detection process: first, a quick assessment of damping oscillation magnitude provides immediate fault indication, and second, a more detailed analysis of oscillation decay characteristics enables precise fault classification. This partial application of different measurement depths allows rapid initial detection followed by precise characterization when needed, balancing detection speed and precision.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for determining an operation state of a suspension damper of a vehicle that may include receiving first data, determining whether the vehicle may be in a steady state condition based on the first data, and responsive to the vehicle being determined to be in the steady state condition, determining damping oscillation magnitude data for a set of suspension dampers based on second data. The method may further include performing a comparison between the damping oscillation magnitude data for a reference suspension damper and the damping oscillation data for remaining suspension dampers, determining an operation state of the reference suspension damper based on the comparison, cycling the reference suspension damper to one of the remaining suspension dampers, and repeating the method until the operation state of each one of a set of suspension dampers has been determined.