Active vibration control in automotive chassis systems

For over 100 years, comfort in road vehicles has been linked to the introduction of passive components that isolate passenger compartments from mechanical vibration. Near-optimal performance has been achieved by years of experimentation and testing, careful selection and shaping of individual component characteristics, and the development of ingenious mechanisms intended to minimise the effect of inherent design constraints associated with passive systems. It is now apparently the case that only a technological leap can significantly improve vibration suppression in automotive chassis systems over that achieved to date. This article considers the analysis and design of active control solutions for two automotive chassis subsystems susceptible to mechanical vibration phenomena.