2009 Second International Conference on Intelligent Computation Technology and Automation
Study on Semi-Active Suspension System Simulation
Based on Magnetorheological Damper
Liu Haibo
School of Machine-electricity Engineering, Taiyuan
University of Science and Technology
Taiyuan 030024, China
e-mail: haibohlj@163.com
Abstract—In order to improve vehicle’s running smoothness
and driving stability, magnet-rheological damper is put
forward as the control object of the semi-active suspension
system, adopting adaptive neural network control method. In
the foundation of experimental test and theoretical analysis, a
model of semi-active suspension is built based on
magnetorheological damper and the adaptive neural network
control method for the model has been studied. The simulative
road spectrum, half-wave function and step function are
respectively selected as the inputs of the model, using the
vertical acceleration of sprung mass, the anamorphosis level of
suspension and dynamic loading of tire as the evaluating
indicators. The simulation results by using Matlab language
and Simulink toolbox show that the smoothness and the
stability of the semi-active suspension have been greatly
improved, compared with the passive suspension and there is a
certain adaptability to the disturbance of outside.
Keywords-magnetorheological damper; bingham model;
semi-active suspension; BP network; numerical simulation.
I. INTRODUCTION
Together with the various performance requirements on
suspension set by modern car, the structure and the damping
control methods of suspension are constantly updated and
improved. So far, the study of suspension system has been
transformed traditional passive suspension into the active
and semi-active suspension system. The semi-active
suspension system, compared to the passive and active
suspension, will have a very wide range of application, with
its simple structure, no-energy-consuming and developments
on vehicle’s smoothness.
In the function of sur-magnetic field, the viscosity of
magnetorhelogical fluids(MRF) will have remarkable
changes, and its dynamic yield stress increases with the
increase of magnetic field strength progressively. When the
sur- magnetic field is removed it also restores to the flowage
rapidly and displays the controllable rheological
performance. The magnetorheological damper that takes
MRF as the working substance may realize the continual
adjustment of damping,and compares with the
electrorheological fluids (ERF) damper, it has the feature of
high frequency of response, obvious damping changes, low
working voltage, fewer energy consumption, the simple
structure of adjusting device and low cost etc[1-2].
978-0-7695-3804-4/09 $26.00 © 2009 IEEE
DOI 10.1109/ICICTA.2009.461
Yang Jianwei
School of Machine-electricity Engineering, Taiyuan
University of Science and Technology
Taiyuan 030024, China
e-mail:railyjw@163.com
Therefore it has the broad application prospect in semi-
active suspension.
Neural network adaptive control, since its characteristics
of simple structure, algorithm and easy implement in
projects, has practical significance in the study of the control
of vehicles' magnetorheological suspension. In this paper, by
the study of the controlling method of 1/4 body model of
semi-active suspension, taking into account the effect of the
vertical acceleration of sprung mass, anamorphosis level of
suspension and dynamic loading of tire on the vehicle's
running smoothness and driving stability, adaptive neural
network control method is used to adjust the the damping
value of the adjustable shock absorber of semi-active
suspension. Namely it is used the rheological effects of
magnetorheological fluid to control the damping value of
shock absorber and improve the vibration characteristics of
suspension.
II. MAGNETORHEOLOGICAL
DAMPER MECHANICAL MODEL[3]
Figure 1 shows the F-V experimental result of magneto-
rheological damper of RD1005. The mathematical
expression equation is:
FMd =(aIM +b)sign(v) +cpov+ f0 ˄1˅
a and b are parameters to be determined, cpo is
stickiness damping factor after yield, f 0 is MR damper on
the grounds of the gas pressure accumulator of bias arising
from the force. The various parameters’ values of
magnetorheological damper control model will be obtained
by fitting in MATLAB, and they respectively are a=1085, b
=9.465, cpo ˙2137, f 0 ˙ˉ68.71.
Figure 1. F-V graph of magnetorheological damper of RD1005
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 III. THE ESTABLISHMENT OF SUSPENSION

DYNAMIC MODEL
Figure 2 shows the model of semi-active suspension
system of two degrees of freedom[4-5] and equations can be T̂
expressed as
ٛ
m z ′′ = k (z − z ) +c (z ′ − z ′) +c (z ′ − z ′) ˄2˅
2 2 2 1 2 2 1 2 x 1 2
Figure 3. The semi-active suspension neural network
′ ′ ′ ′ ′
1 1 =k1(z0 −z1)−k2(z1 −z2)−c2(z1 −z2 )−cx(z1 −z2 ) ˄3˅
mz
adptive control system
z2
m2 Td is the expected acceleration of suspension system’s
k2 cx output, T is the actual acceleration of suspension system’s
z1 output, S is road input, Tˆ is the acceleration of neural
m1 network identifier’s(NNI) output, U is the damping value of
z0 k neural network controller’s(NNC) output. e1 is the error of
1
the acceleration of NNI’s output and the actual acceleration
Figure 2. 1/4 model of vehicle of suspension system’s output. e2 is the error of the
expected acceleration of NNI’s output and the expected
m1 is non-sprung mass, m2 is sprung mass, k 2 is rigidity acceleration of suspension system’s output.
of suspension, k1 is rigidity of tire, z 0 is road surface input, The vertical acceleration of the sprung mass is selected as
the control volume in the system. Neural network
c2 is shock absorber background damp, c x is changeable identifier(NNI) is used to recognize the controlled target
damping coefficient, z1 , z 2 respectively are the displacement online. Another neural network controller(NNC) is used in
of non-sprung mass and sprung mass. adaptive control. The learning algorithm 1 is learning
Selecting state variables, x1 = z1 , x2 = z2 , x 3 = z1' , x 4 = z 4' , according to e1 and it will make the results of identifier
' more accurate. The learning algorithm 2 is learning
then the state equations of the system are X = AX + BU . according to e2 and it will adjust the output of NNC and
Y = CX + DU
make the error between them smallest. So it can achieve the
U=[z0, f ]T , f = c x ( z1′ − z ′2 ) , X =[x1, x2, x3, x4]T , purpose of the suspension system’s vibration control.
Y=[z′2,z′2,z1−z2,z0 −z1,z1′ −z′2]T , f is the changeable damping force. A. Design of neural network identifier[7]
ª 0 0 1 0 º ª 0 0 º The vehicle’s suspension is a complex nonlinear system,
« 0 0 0 1 » « 0 0 »
and the dynamic nature of suspension is effectively
« » « » recognized with the neural network identifier. The neural
« k +k k2 c2 c2 » «k 1 » network controller controls the vehicle’s suspension system
A = «− 1 2 − » B=« 1 − »
according to the identifier. The acceleration of vibration and
« m1 m1 m1 m1 » « m1 m1 »
« k2 the damping value of neural network’s output are selected as
k2 c2 c » « 1 »
« − − 2» « 0 » the identification network’s input. Figure 4 shows the model
¬ m2 m2 m2 m2 ¼ ¬ m2 ¼ of the neural network identifier.
ª k2 k2 c2 c º ª 1 º It is assumed that the semi-active suspension system is a
«m −
m2 m2
− 2 »
m2 «0 m2 » single-input and single-output nonlinear system, and it can
« 2 » « » be described as
« 0 0 0 1 » «0 0 » T(k) = g[T(k −1),",T(k −n),U(k −1),",U(k −m)] ˄4˅
C =« » D = « »
« −1 1 0 0 » «0 0 » In the formula, T(k) is the value of the acceleration of
« −1 0 0 0 » «1 0 » sprung mass at k, U(k-1) is the damping value of the semi-
« » « » active suspension system at k-1; T and U are respectively the
¬ 0 0 1 −1 ¼ ¬0 0 ¼
acceleration of output and the damping value of the system’s
IV. STRUCTURE OF NEURAL NETWORK ADAPTIVE input, T is the vertical vibration acceleration of sprung mass,
CONTROL SYSTEM U is the damp controlling value of suspension, n and m are
the differential orders of the time sequence {y(k)}and{u(k)};
Figure 3 shows the neural network adaptive semi-active g [⋅] is the nonlinear dynamic mapping function.
suspension control system[6].

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wij (k )
wi (k )
Figure 4. Structure of neural network identifier
of semi-active suspension
In order to minimize the performance target function
(formula(5)), gradient descent method is used to
continuously adjust weights, and the weights learning
formula is formula(6).
wi' (k + 1) = wi' (k ) + Δwi' (k )∂T (k + 1) / ∂u ˄9˅
e1 ( k ) The object’s characteristic ∂T ( k + 1) / ∂u is unknown, and
∂T ( k + 1) / ∂u is the sensitivity of object’s output
corresponding to input. The controlled object is unknown, so
the sensitivity function must be estimated through NNI. If
NNI is trained well, the identifier’s
 information can be used,
and T(k+1) can be replaced by T ( k + 1) ,then the equation is
obtained as follow
R
wi' (k + 1) = wi' (k ) + Δwi' (k ) ⋅ ¦ wi g ' [neti (k )]wij (k ) ˄10˅
i =1
In summary, the neural network adaptive algorithm of
semi-active suspension control system can be described as
follows.
1). The values of (-0.5,0.5) are used to initialized
weights of NNI and NNC.
2). T (k) is obtained by sampling.
1 5 3). Calculate the error signal e1 (k ) , adjust weights of
J = 1 [ T ( k + 1) − Tˆ ( k + 1) ] 2
2 NNI, calculate T (k ) of neural network.
wij (k+1)=wij(k)+η[T(k+1)−Tˆ(k+1)]•g'[wi(k)−neti(k)] ˄6˅
α is the momentum factor for controlling neural network,
0< α <1. η is the learning coefficient for identify neural
network, 0<η <1.
B. Design of neural network controller[8]
The adaptive parameters are weights of neural network in
the adaptive neural network controller. The appropriate
weights’ learning is used to control the unknown
characteristics of the object and the changes of use
environmental[9]. The NNC can be designed as
U(k) = G[T (k),",T (k −1),T (k − n +1),Tr (k + d)] ˄7˅
w ' ij (k )
e2 ( k ) T
w ' i (k )

4). Calculate the error signal e2 (k ) , and adjust the
weights of NNC.
5). Have the control signal U(k) with NNC.
6). Make k=k+1, return 2).
V. RESULT AND ANALYSIS OF SIMULATION
In this paper, Matlab language and Simulink toolbox are
used to establish simulation model of automobile semi-
active suspension control system. By using fourth-order
Runge-Kutta method, setting the simulation time to 25s and
setting simulation step size to auto, and as well as using the
parameters of two degrees-of-freedom model of a 1/4 of the
automobile body, the output of suspension system is vertical
vibration acceleration of sprung mass, the expected
value( Td ) is 0 , the network training function is trainlm, the
structure of identifier is 4-6-1, the structure of controller is
3-5-1, various parameter values of vehicle model Model are
shown in tab.1.
TABLE I. PARAMETERS OF VEHICLE MODEL

Mass of sprung mass m2 /kg 330

Figure 5. The structure of neural network controller Mass of non-sprung mass m1 /kg 25
Base damping c2 / N ⋅ s / m 900
Its performance target function is Rigidity of tire k1 / N / m 170000
1
J 2 = [ T d ( k + 1 ) -Tˆ ( k + 1 ) ] 2 ˄8˅ Rigidity of suspension k2 N / m 13000
2 In order to fully prove the adaptive ability of neural
Td is the expected output's acceleration, Tˆ is the neural network, some simulation have been done in the trial that
network’s estimated output, Tˆ will approach T after vehicle is respectively running at the speed of 60 kilometers
per hour, 90 kilometers per hour and 120 kilometers per
learning, and then J 3 = 1 [Td (k + 1) − T ( k + 1)]2 may be hour on the road of simulative road spectrum, half-wave
2 function and step function. Evaluation targets of various
replaced by J 2 . Dynamic BP algorithm is used to adjust time-domain graphs are shown in figure 6 to figure
weights online algorithm of controller, and the additional 9(simulation effects of passive suspension are marked with
momentum law is considered to be used. Thus the formula blue solid curves and simulation effects of semi-active
for each layer of neural network to learn is suspension are marked with black curves in time-domain

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graph). Figure 10 shows the total effects of neural network
adaptive control.
Figure 6. Time-domain graph of the vertical acceleration of sprung
mass(120 kilometers per hour, simulative road spectrum)
Figure 7. Time domain graph of dynamic loading of tire(120 kilometers
per hour, simulative road spectrum)
Figure 8. Time-domain graphs of the vertical acceleration of sprung mass
(60 kilometers per hour, road of half-wave function)
Figure 9. Time-domain graphs of the vertical acceleration of sprung
mass(60 kilometers per hour, road of step function)
Figure 10. The total effects of neural network adaptive control
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(R----input of road; P----parameters; v----vehicle speed; a----the vertical
acceleration of sprung mass; s---- the anamorphosis level of suspension; m--
--dynamic loading of tire; %----the relative reduced degree of root-mean-
square˄RMS˅of semi-active control compared with passive control)
VI. CONCLUSION
1). With the combination of neural network and the
adaptive control and efficient use in vehicle’s semi-
active suspension control, the controller’s abality to
cope with the complex control problems is greatly
enhanced.
2). Neural network adaptive control can be greatly used to
improve vehicles’ running smoothness and the stability
of control. Its vertical acceleration of sprung mass and
the dynamic loading of tire are both effectively
improved by RMS, and the improvement are more
superior to the skyhook damping control and the passive
suspension. In three kinds of evaluating indicators, the
improvement of the vertical acceleration of sprung mass
works best.
3). As well as improving the vehicles’ running smoothness
and the stability of control, adapative neural network
control arithmetic help the anamorphosis degreel of
suspension reduced and the suspension’s possibility of
broken.
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ACKNOWLEDGMENT
This paper is support by the project of Shanxi province
science foundation (No: 2007021023) and the project of
Shanxi Youth Science Leader Foundation (No: 200670) and
Doctor Starting-up Foundation of Taiyuan University of
Science and Technology (No: 200610) and the graduate
innovative project of Shanxi province(No: 20081091).