The estimation of frequency response of nonlinear quarter car model and bilinear model of damper characteristics

The paper presents proposed and tested methods of estimation of frequency response of nonlinear quarter car suspension model and comparison with method for linear model used for research of vehicle vertical dynamics. Linear quarter car suspension model is widely used for estimation of comfort and safety performance of passive and semiactive suspensions. The real suspension - especially shock absorbers - are non-linear in three aspects: static characteristics, hysteresis and the presence of friction. Testing linear suspension model is possible with the use of analytical transfer function formulas but testing real suspension on a testing stand or even virtual but nonlinear suspension needs to use methods of transfer function estimation. It was necessary to design appropriate input signal allowing to get useful response signals. With the use of obtained frequency responses a method of linear estimation of nonlinear suspension for a given range of working condition was proposed. Also the bilinear model of damper characteristic estimation was proposed and tested proving to be good alternative to nonlinear characteristic.