1. Active Suspension Systems
Anthony Griffin
Bradley Rouse
Philip Woodward
MAE 442
Dr. Klang
5/6/2005

2. Outline Common Types of Suspensions Active Suspensions Benefits
Disadvantages
Applications
Conclusion

3. Common Suspensions Front Suspension Solid I-Beam Twin I-Beam
MacPherson Strut
Short-Long Arm
Rear Suspension
Non Independent Rear Leaf Springs
Non Independent Rear Coil Springs
Trailing Arm
Beam

4. Solid I-Beam Used on trucks and other large vehicles Economical
Simple design
Low Maintenance
Excellent load capacity
Non-independent design
Uncomfortable ride quality
Poor handling

5. Twin I-Beam Found on many Ford trucks Forged, cast, or stamped axles
Excellent load capacity
Requires special equipment for alignment adjustments

6. MacPherson Strut One of the most popular systems One Control Arm
Ideal for front wheel drive
Light weight
Economical
Good ride quality and handling characteristics
Used for both front and rear suspensions

7. Short-Long Arm Independent design
Uses an upper and a lower control arm
Uses either torsion bars or coil springs
Good ride quality and handling characteristics
Heavy and complex design requires a lot of space

8. Rear Leaf Springs Non-independent design
Similar to front solid I-beam axle
Large load carrying capacity

9. Rear Coil Springs Non-independent design
Uses coils and control arms instead of leaf springs
Good load carrying capacity

10. Trailing Arm Independent Design Uses individual lower control arms
Uses coil springs and shocks
Good ride quality

11. Rear Beam Non-independent design Stamped beam axles
Uses coil springs and trailing arms
Light and simple design

12. Active Suspension Systems
Bose Suspension
Magneto-Rheological Technology

13. Bose Suspension System
Electromagnetic motors at each wheel instead of traditional shocks and struts.
Sensors at various locations to detect body and suspension movement.
Comparison of Factory-Installed and Bose Suspensions: Body Motion on Bump Course

14. Bose Suspension System
Uses sensor measurements to instantaneously counteract road forces
Produces excellent ride quality and superior control in the same system

15. Bose Suspension Components
Linear Electromagnetic Motor
Responds quickly enough to counter the effects of bumps and road irregularities
Power Amplifier
Sends power to the motor during extension and returns power during retraction
Control Algorithms
Observe sensor measurements and send commands to the power amplifiers

16. Bose vs. Stock Suspension

17. Magneto-Rheological Technology
Dampers contain magnetic particles suspended in fluid
Magnetic field within the fluid aligns particles
Creates resistance to movement and increases damping
Variable magnetic field creates more or less resistance as needed
System can change up to 1000 times per second

18. Benefits Bose Suspension Magnetic Ride Control Superior comfort
Superior control
Reduces body roll during turns
Reduces need for camber roll during turns
Requires only 1/3 of the power needed by the AC
Wider damping range than Magneto-Rheological systems
Magnetic Ride Control
Improved road handling
Improved wheel control
Smoother ride than conventional shocks and struts
Reduces noise and virbations
Continuous range of damping

19. Disadvantages
High initial cost
High repair costs
Complex systems

20. Applications Bose Suspension Magnetic Ride Control
System will be offered on high end luxury vehicles within the next 5 years.
The same technology has been applied in Military applications.
Magnetic Ride Control
Currently offered on Cadillac SRX and Seville STS models.
Offered on the Chevrolet Corvette for the 2003 model year.
Mercedes S600
BMW 7 series

21. Active Military Application

22. Conclusion
Active control suspensions offer a wider range of comfort and control than most current suspension systems.
Offers unmatched vehicle handling performance.
May eventually find their way into more common production vehicles.