Active Suspension: Simulate Road Conditions Without Sitting in Traffic
Give your senior engineering students unique hands-on learning, relevant
to the automotive industry with Quanser’s Active Suspension. This
experimental platform teaches active control challenges for a quarter-car
model, as well as mass, spring and damper systems.
How It Works
The Active Suspension system consists of two masses, each supported
by a spring. The upper mass represents the vehicle body supported above
the suspension, while the lower mass corresponds to one of the vehicle’s
wheels. The middle mass corresponds to one of the vehicle’s wheels.
You actuate the upper mass through a programmable motor. Conduct different
experiments by positioning the device vertically or horizontally.
Curriculum
Topics Provided – Request a Curriculum Sample
- Double mass, spring, damper system analysis
- Industry-relevant control
requirements (ride comfort, suspension travel, road handling)
- Derivation
of dynamic model
- State space representation
- System transfer functions
- Open-loop system analysis
- Time domain and frequency-domain open-loop and close-loop system
identification
- Full-state/two-state feedback LQR control design (with real-time
control parameter tuning)
- Full-state/two-state feedback LQG controller (with real-time control/observer
parameter tuning)
- Observer design
Theory to Practice in One Simulated Step
See the Active Suspension from another perspective. Use visualization
tools within QuaRC® to run a real-time virtual environment simulation
of the device in parallel to the actual controller commanding the plant.
The Virtual Plant Simulation (VPS) may be used independently to examine
the designed controller on a graphical and accurate simulation. This
enables you to implement the real-time control algorithm without any
need for hardware-in-the-loop components. The result? This simulation
module addresses the traditional “theory to practice” control
design cycle - modeling, design, simulation and implementation. The Virtual
Plant Simulation is included in the Active Suspension Hardware-in-the-Loop
solution or can be purchased separately. |
