Modified sky-hook control of a semi-active suspension system using H ∞ robust control theory

The main focus of the present paper is on the design of a modified sky-hook control of a semi-active Macpherson suspension system by means of H∞ Output Feedback Control (OFC) theory. To this end, a new dynamic model, incorporating the kinematics of the suspension system, is used for the controller design. The combination of a Linear Matrix Inequality (LMI) solver and Genetic Algorithm (GA) is adopted to regulate the static output feedback control gain so that the stability conditions are fulfilled and control objectives are achieved. Meanwhile, a three-dimensional kinematic model of the system is incorporated to investigate the influence of the control force variation on the steering, handling and stability of the vehicle. A geometric relation of the vehicle roll center is employed to study one more extra aspect of the comfort and stability of the vehicle. The results show that the proposed controller improves the kinematic and dynamic performances of the suspension well compared with those of the passive system. Moreover, it is concluded that a superior stability of the vehicle during the cornering can be achieved by adjusting the height of the vehicle roll center passively so that the stability of the vehicle is improved while the forward motion specifications can be modified by an appropriate suspension control design. Copyright © 2009 by ASME