Combined stiffness and damping handling-oriented control of a multichamber suspension

This paper explores the advantages of a combined handling-oriented stiffness/damping control for a multichamber suspension. It exploits the spring stiffness modulation capabilities to reduce the steady-state chassis angles of up to 49% in roll and 36% in pitch with respect to the passive benchmark and the damper regulation to prevent any overshoots or oscillations in the transient phase of harsh maneuvers, with an improvement of up to 44% in pitch rate and 29% in roll rate. Overall, the combined controller enhances the vehicle behavior while ensuring satisfactory comfort performance on single-events obstacles and irregular roads.