Design and analysis of an integrated sliding mode control–two-point wheelbase preview strategy for a semi-active air suspension with stepper motor-driven gas-filled adjustable shock absorber

This article proposes an integrated sliding mode control–two-point wheelbase preview strategy for semi-active air suspension system with gas-filled adjustable shock absorber. First of all, a vehicle suspension model with rolling lobe air spring and gas-filled adjustable shock absorber is built, following with a road input model for the front wheel. By describing the detailed structure and working process of the gas-filled adjustable shock absorber, the regulating mechanism between the stepper motor and the designed gas-filled adjustable shock absorber is established. Subsequently, the sliding mode control algorithm is applied to generate the desired damping force with the real-time state of the vehicle. Moreover, to predetermine the road profile for the rear wheel, a two-point wheelbase preview approach is proposed and its superiority is also illustrated as compared with the conventional single-point wheelbase preview approach. To evaluate the performance of the proposed system, numerical analysis is conducted with other three comparative schemes, namely, passive suspension system, active suspension system with H infinity control, and sliding mode control–controlled semi-active air suspension system with adjustable shock absorber. Simulation results show that the integrated sliding mode control–two-point wheelbase preview strategy can be successfully utilized in the semi-active air suspension system with stepper motor-driven gas-filled adjustable shock absorber, and the vehicle performance with the proposed system can be greatly improved.