Design and Development of PID Controller-Based Active Suspension System for Automobiles

Suspension systems have been widely applied to vehicles, right from the horse-drawn carriage with flexible leaf springs fixed at the four corners, to the modern automobile with complex control algorithms. Every vehicle moving on the randomly profiled road is exposed to vibration which is harmful both for the passengers in terms of comfort and for the durability of the vehicle itself. Different disturbances occur when a vehicle leans over during cornering (rolling) and dives to the front during braking (pitching). Also, unpleasant vertical vibrations (bouncing) of the vehicle body can occur while driving over road irregularities. These dynamic motions do not only have an adverse effect on comfort but can also be unsafe, because the tyres might lose their grip on the road. Therefore the main task of a vehicle suspension is to ensure ride comfort and road holding for a variety of road conditions and vehicle maneuvers. This in turn would directly contribute to the safety of the user.