A Novel Semi-Active Electromagnetic Suspension for Ride Comfort and Energy Harvesting

In this paper, a multi-objective current tracking control strategy (MCTCS) is proposed for a novel multi-function electromagnetic damper (MFED) to balance ride comfort and energy recovery performances. To achieve the integration of vibration isolation and energy recovery functions, a novel versatile electromagnetic damper is designed based on bidirectional current flow between actuators and energy storage devices. The MFED system is installed into a quarter-car model, and the disturbance force of the transmission device is considered. A robust active controller is designed to calculate the ideal current, and a current tracking strategy is designed to track the ideal current. Based on the ideal current tracking methodology, the MCTCS method is proposed to realize the switching between different functions. The MCTCS is designed according to the idea of ride comfort-oriented with energy recovery consideration. A well-tuned passive suspension and two other control strategies are used to compare with the MCTCS method. Finally, a random road profile is generated to test the performance of the control strategy of the MFED system. Simulation results show that the MCTCS method of the MFED can achieve excellent ride comfort and can recover a certain amount of energy.