A semi-active control-oriented damper model for an automotive suspension

This paper deals with the modelling of a magneto-rheological damper as a component of a quarter-car model. The objective is to provide an analysis of the transient and frequency behavior of the suspension system in order to evaluate the inherent linearities of two identified models: a complex one and a control-oriented one. The models have a common structure but the effect of the current and the dynamic behavior has different principle. The results show that the design of experiments is a key issue in the identification process. A quarter of a vehicle which includes a control-oriented damper model is identified as well-suited for the synthesis of controllers that perform well in terms of accurate frequency response when compared with that of a quarter-car with a semi-active suspension simulated with experimental data.