Development of a Slow-Acting Active Control Pneumatic Suspension System for Heavy Vehicle Applications

A slow-acting active control pneumatic suspension system for heavy truck applications is described. The first part of the paper discusses the control law strategy for an active pneumatic damping system concept. The second part descnies the application of the concept to a pneumatic sleeper bunk suspension system for on-highway trucks. The pneumatic suspension improves the quality of the sleeping environment for over-the-road truck drivers. Also, this concept has further application to a chassis suspension system to improve the truck's ride quality and handling characteristics.