New approach for the design and optimization of a quarter-car suspension system

In this research study, a new approach was applied for the design of a quarter-car suspension. The objective was to determine the optimal design parameters of the suspension that satisfy the required static and dynamic constraints. The design variables were defined using intervals of values and all the imposed constraints were integrated in an NCSP solving tool. The dynamic performance of the suspension system was integrated as algebraic constraints and ordinary differential equations by intervals. Linking dynamic and static sizing steps in the same phase eliminated over-sizing issue of the system and helped save the computation time. In order to reduce the search area of the design parameters, the ModelCenter coupled with Matlab tool were used to perform parametric studies and get the optimal dimensions.