The clipped LQ control oriented on driving safety of a half-car model with magnetorheological dampers

The problem of improving driving safety for vehicles equipped with magnetorheological (MR) dampers is considered. It is proposed to control the MR dampers using the clipped LQ (Linear Quadratic) control which can be regarded as the two-dimensional Skyhook algorithm. The strategy is applied to a half-car model with four degrees of freedom, oriented on roll dynamics. Here, control algorithm optimised with respect to minimisation of roll vibrations is considered. Simulation experiments were performed assuming the model is subjected to impulse excitation generated as a torque applied in the centre of gravity, that is equivalent to a manoeuvre in the form of a sudden turning. The quality of the algorithm was validated using the RMS-based performance index and the results confirm the effectiveness of the proposed solution for the semi-active suspension.