Experimental and simulation investigation of vertical response of stepped torsion bar spring for light motor vehicle suspension system

Abstract

The straight torsion bar spring is widely used in automobile and military tankers suspension systems due to less occupation of space and high weight bearing capacity. In this present work, the vertical response of Stepped Torsion Bar Spring (STBS) in Light Motor Vehicle (LMV) suspension is investigated. The STBS consists of two segments in series. The segment-1 is larger diameter when compared to that of segment-2. Three cases of diameter ratio and length ratios combination of STBS are experimented and simulated. A 2-DOF (Degree of Freedom) quarter car model test rig is designed for the experimental work. A harmonic excitation is given as road input though a Cam. The damped and undamped vertical response and frequencies of STBS are experimented. The vertical response and its spectrum analysis are plotted and better responses of the low stiffness STBS is identified for comfort ride and the results are compared with MATLAB Simulink results. The results of the suspension parameters such as tire stiffness, damping coefficient of shock absorber, stiffness of STBS, internal damping of STBS and torsional to linear stiffness are investigated.

Keywords

Stepped torsion bar spring 2-DOF quarter car model MATLAB Simulink model spectrum analysis and comfort ride

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Starosta

Sypniewska-Kamińska

Awrejcewicz

Quantifying non-linear dynamics of mass-springs in series oscillators via asymptotic approach. Mech Syst Signal Process 2017; 89: 149–158.

Lai

Lim

CW.

Accurate approximate analytical solutions for nonlinear free vibration of systems with serial linear and nonlinear stiffness. J Sound Vib 2007; 307: 720–736.

Selvam

Jinu

GR.

Mathematical modeling and transient response analysis of SAE 6150 steel stepped torsion bar spring. J Balk Tribol Assoc 2019; 25: 856–864.

Močilnik

Gubeljak

Predan

Effect of residual stresses on the fatigue behaviour of torsion bars. Metals (Basel) 2020; 10: 1056.

Furch

Nguyen

QH.

Lifetime test of tracked vehicle torsion bars using Monte Carlo method. Emerg Sci J 2020; 4(5): 376–389.

Hohl

GH.

Torsion-bar spring and damping systems of tracked vehicles. J Terramechanics 1985; 22(4): 195–203.

Gagneza

GPS

Chandramohan

. Estimation of road loads and vibration transmissibility of torsion bar suspension system in a tracked vehicle. J Inst Eng (India) Ser C 2018; 100: 747–761.

Salem

Salahuddien

. Evaluation of characteristics of tracked vehicles torsion bars. In: 13th International conference on applied mechanics and mechanical engineering, 2008, vol. 13, pp.90–103. Cairo, Egypt: Military Technical College.

Ravishankar

Sinthuja

Ride dynamic analysis of a military tracked vehicle: a comparison of torsion bar suspension with hydrogas suspension. SAE technical paper 2008-01-0780, 2008.

10.

Allam

Nader

Rabea

Effects of speed breaks on vehicle dynamics and ride comfort. Int J Eng Invent 2017; 6: 01–09.

11.

Nabagło

Jurkiewicz

Kowal

Modeling verification of an advanced torsional spring for tracked vehicle suspension in 2S1 vehicle model. Eng Struct 2021; 229: 111623.

12.

Van der Sande

TPJ

Gysen

BLJ

Besselink

IJM

, et al. Robust control of an electromagnetic active suspension system: simulations and measurements. Mechatron 2013; 23: 204–212.

13.

Omar

El-kassaby

Abdelghasaffar

A universal suspension test rig for electrohydrauic active and passive automotive suspension system. Alex Eng J 2017; 56: 359–370.

14.

Patil

Joshi

SG.

Experimental analysis of 2 DOF quarter-car passive and hydraulic active suspension systems for ride comfort. Syst Sci Control Eng 2014; 2: 621–631.

15.

Kulkarni

Ranjha

Kapoor

A quarter-car suspension model for dynamic evaluations of an in-wheel electric vehicle. Proc IMechE, Part D: J Automobile Engineering 2017; 232: 1139–1148.

16.

Kanchwala

Chatterjee

Generalized quarter car modelling approach with frame flexibility and other nonlocal effects. Sadhana 2017; 42(7): 1175–1192.

17.

Salah

A laboratory automotive suspension test rig: design, implementation and integration. Jordan J Mech Ind Eng 2016; 11(2): 67–71.

18.

Maher

Young

. Modelling of road vehicle suspension systems for performance evaluation. In: International operational model analysis conference, Copenhagen, Denmark, 2007.

19.

Maher

Young

An insight into linear quarter car model accuracy. Veh Syst Dyn Int J Veh Mech Mobil 2011; 49(3): 463–480.

20.

Arana

Evangelou

, et al. Quarter-car experimental study for series active variable geometry suspension. IEEE Trans Control Syst Technol 2019; 27(2): 743–759.

21.

Lin

Kanellakopoulos

. Road-Adaptive Nonlinear Design of Active Suspensions. In: Proceedings of the 1997 American control conference (Cat. No. 97CH36041), Albuquerque, NM, 1997.

22.

Palanisamy

Karuppan

Fuzzy control of active suspension system. J Vibroengineering 2016; 18(5): 3197–3204.

23.

SAE HS 796. AE 11 Spring design manual. Warrendale, PA: Society of Automotive Engineers, Inc, 1990.

24.

Kim

Kang

Kim

, et al. Simultaneous estimation of state and unknown road roughness input for vehicle suspension control system based on discrete Kalman filter. Proc IMechE, Part D: J Automobile Engineering 2019; 234: 1–13.