Performance of active control in a vehicle seat under random road excitations

This work proposes an active controlled vehicle seat and the assessment of its performance over random excitations. Classic active suspension systems are the most common way to attenuate vibrations in a vehicle, but the expensive cost of these systems’ components and the substantial energy needed to meet performance objectives are their drawbacks. Changing the suspension concept and placing one actuator on the occupant seats is one potential solution to the energy and cost problems associated with active suspensions, with equivalent performance and a significant reduction in energy consumption. To investigate this concept, a full car model was constructed with these different approaches. The excitations are modeled as three different road conditions according to ISO 8608 classes. A classic control system with linear quadratic regulator (LQR) is then employed to attenuate vibration in both concepts. Finally, the control forces and time histories for accelerations at the chassis and driver’s seat are provided and compared. Acceleration transmissibility and actuator's performance demonstrates the benefits of this strategy.