H-infinity optimal control of active dumpers for automotive suspension systems and civil structures

Abstract

In recent years the protection of structures against hazardous vibration has gained special interest. Structures such as buildings, bridges and vehicles are subject to vibrations that may cause malfunctioning, un-comfort or collapse. It is an extended practice to install damping devices in order to mitigate such vibrations. Furthermore, when the dampers are controllable, the structure acts as an adaptronic system. Adaptronic systems are characterized by their abil- ity to respond to external loading conditions and adapt themselves to these changes. These abilities can be exploited to solve the vibration mitigation problems through the installation of controllable dampers and the design of appropriate control laws for an adequate actuation. These modern systems in the case of vehicle suspension systems o®er improved comfort and road hold- ing in varying driving and loading conditions compared to traditional passive devices.