Influence of Oil Compressibility of Fluidic Suspensions on Vehicle Roll Stability and Ride Dynamics

This study investigates influence of compressible hydraulic fluid and suspension floating piston dynamics of fluidic suspensions on heavy vehicle roll stability and ride dynamics. Two fluidic suspension designs, including a single-gas-chamber strut and a novel twin-gas-chamber strut, are analyzed to develop the mathematical formulations of dynamic forces, upon considerations of hydraulic fluid compressibility and floating piston dynamics. Dynamic responses of the heavy vehicle with the different suspension configurations are then performed using a nonlinear roll plane vehicle model. The excitations arise from vehicle-road interactions as well as a steady steering maneuver. The results demonstrate that the compressibility characteristic of hydraulic fluid within a hydro-pneumatic suspension could affect the vehicle roll stability and ride dynamics, while the influence of suspension floating piston dynamics on vehicle dynamic responses is negligible. Compared to the single-gas-chamber strut suspensions with/without an anti-roll bar, the novel twin-gas-chamber strut suspension could yield considerably enhanced roll stability and suspension stroke responses.