Simulation and Performance evaluation of an energy-regenerative suspension system based on a quarter-car model

This paper proposes a hydraulic suspension integrated with an energy-regeneration mechanism for a quarter-car model. A nonlinear dynamic model is built and co-simulated in MATLAB–AMESim under ISO road excitations (Classes A-C) and varying speeds. The system converts vibrational energy to electricity through a hydraulic-mechanical-electrical chain including a rectifying circuit, hydraulic motor, and DC generator. Compared with a conventional suspension, the proposed system improves ride comfort and harvests energy simultaneously. At 20 m/s on ISO-C, the RMS vertical acceleration of the sprung mass decreases by 43.5 %; the maximum regeneration efficiency reaches 14.83 % at 30 m/s. Recovered energy increases with both road roughness and speed, up to 96.04 J at 30 m/s. Results confirm the feasibility of hydraulic regenerative suspensions for enhancing comfort and energy utilization in modern vehicles.