Regenerative Active Suspension on Rough Terrain Vehicles

Progress on the development of active suspension for improving mobility of rough terrain vehicles is being hindered by the potentially high energy requirements. A unique regenerative active suspension system has been conceived and is being developed to provide active suspension with very low energy requirements. Regenerative active suspension consists of multiple variable displacement pumps, each controlling flow to and from hydro-pneumatic struts to control a vehicle's low frequency body motions. When fluid is returned from a strut to a pump, energy is recovered or “regenerated” so that the total energy requirement is very low. This paper presents the results of a study showing the potential of the regenerative active suspension system to improve vehicle control and ride comfort of rough terrain vehicles enhancing mobility while requiring very little additional energy. Simulation results are presented for both tracked and wheeled vehicles, comparing regenerative active suspension to passive suspension and other forms of active suspension. The design of a compact, efficient, multiple pump unit will also be presented which makes it possible to incorporate this system in rough terrain vehicles. Results of pump simulation and pump testing will be presented.