Analysis of the Effect of Three Different Dynamic Models Embedded into the Seat Suspension System on the Ride Performance of a Vibratory Roller

This study proposes three different models, the negative stiffness structure (NSS), damping structure (DS), and a combination of NSS and DS (NSDS), for the traditional seat suspension (TSS) of the vibratory roller to improve the driver’s ride comfort. A dynamic model of the vibratory roller established under the condition of the vehicle working on an elastoplastic soil with poor terrain surface is used to assess the performance of the NSS, DS, and NSDS. The sensitivity effect of the design parameters of the NSS, DS, and NSDS on their isolation efficiency is analyzed using the indexes of the root mean square (RMS) of the driver’s seat displacement (z_ws ) and acceleration (a_ws ). The design parameters of the NSS, DS, and NSDS are then optimized based on the multi-objective optimization method to fully evaluate their isolation efficiency. Finally, the experimental study is carried out on the vibratory roller to verify the research results. The research results show that the sensitivity of the geometric dimension ratios, the stiffness parameter, and the stiffness ratio of the NSS and NSDS greatly affect the z_ws and a_ws , while the DS design parameters insignificantly affect the z_ws and a_ws . With the optimized NSS, DS, and NSDS, the damping force generated by the DS is very low compared to the restoring force generated by both the NSS and NSDS. Thus, the DS embedded into the TSS is not effective in improving the ride comfort of the vibratory roller. On the contrary, the NSS embedded into the TSS has an obvious effect on improving the ride comfort of the vibratory roller. To further improve the ride comfort of the vibratory roller, the TSS should be embedded with an NSS while the damping coefficient of the TSS should be optimized or controlled.