Methods for Eliminating Jerk and Noise in Semi-Active Suspensions

Ride evaluations of prototype semi-active suspensions have demonstrated that acceleration alone is not sufficient in determining acceptable ride quality. The problem involves transient force behavior that is inherent to a semi-active suspension. This transient behavior can be present in both on-off and continuously variable semi-active suspensions. Force discontinuities created by semi-active suspensions can create jerk (the derivative of acceleration) and unwanted audible noise. This paper proposes simple solutions for eliminating unwanted jerk and noise. These solutions involve modifications to the basic control algorithms or system hardware.