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A hybrid approach to modeling and control of vehicle height for electronically controlled air suspension

  • Dynamics and Vehicle Engineering
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Abstract

The control problems associated with vehicle height adjustment of electronically controlled air suspension (ECAS) still pose theoretical challenges for researchers, which manifest themselves in the publications on this subject over the last years. This paper deals with modeling and control of a vehicle height adjustment system for ECAS, which is an example of a hybrid dynamical system due to the coexistence and coupling of continuous variables and discrete events. A mixed logical dynamical (MLD) modeling approach is chosen for capturing enough details of the vehicle height adjustment process. The hybrid dynamic model is constructed on the basis of some assumptions and piecewise linear approximation for components nonlinearities. Then, the on-off statuses of solenoid valves and the piecewise approximation process are described by propositional logic, and the hybrid system is transformed into the set of linear mixed-integer equalities and inequalities, denoted as MLD model, automatically by HYSDEL. Using this model, a hybrid model predictive controller (HMPC) is tuned based on online mixed-integer quadratic optimization (MIQP). Two different scenarios are considered in the simulation, whose results verify the height adjustment effectiveness of the proposed approach. Explicit solutions of the controller are computed to control the vehicle height adjustment system in realtime using an offline multi-parametric programming technology (MPT), thus convert the controller into an equivalent explicit piecewise affine form. Finally, bench experiments for vehicle height lifting, holding and lowering procedures are conducted, which demonstrate that the HMPC can adjust the vehicle height by controlling the on-off statuses of solenoid valves directly. This research proposes a new modeling and control method for vehicle height adjustment of ECAS, which leads to a closed-loop system with favorable dynamical properties.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Automotive and Traffic Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212013, China

    Xiaoqiang Sun & Shaohua Wang

  2. Automotive Engineering Research Institute, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212013, China

    Yingfeng Cai, Yanling Liu & Long Chen

Authors
  1. Xiaoqiang Sun
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  2. Yingfeng Cai
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  3. Shaohua Wang
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  4. Yanling Liu
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  5. Long Chen
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Long Chen.

Additional information

SUN Xiaoqiang, born in 1989, is currently a PhD candidate at School of Automotive and Traffic Engineering, Jiangsu University, China. He received his bachelor degree from Jiangsu University, China, in 2010. His research interests include electronically controlled air suspension and engineering application of hybrid systems theory.

CAI Yingfeng, born in 1985, is currently a lecturer and a master candidate supervisor at Automotive Engineering Research Institute, Jiangsu University, China. She received her PhD degree from Southeast University, China, in 2013. Her main research interests include vehicle system dynamics and intelligent automobile.

WANG Shaohua, born in 1978, is currently an associate professor and a master candidate supervisor at School of Automotive and Traffic Engineering, Jiangsu University, China. His main research interests include electronically controlled air suspension.

LIU Yanling, born in 1982, is currently a PhD candidate at School of Automotive and Traffic Engineering, Jiangsu University, China. She received her master degree from Jiangsu University, China, in 2007. Her main research interests include vehicle system dynamics modeling and control.

CHEN Long, born in 1958, is currently a professor and a PHD candidate supervisor at School of Automotive and Traffic Engineering, Jiangsu University, China. His main research interests include modeling and control of vehicle dynamic performance.

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Sun, X., Cai, Y., Wang, S. et al. A hybrid approach to modeling and control of vehicle height for electronically controlled air suspension. Chin. J. Mech. Eng. 29, 152–162 (2016). https://doi.org/10.3901/CJME.2015.1202.141

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.3901/CJME.2015.1202.141

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