Integrated design of structure/control systems of semi-active suspension using genetic algorithms and H_∞ control scheme

As closed-loop performance specifications of dynamic system become more and more stringent, leading to higher and higher performance systems, there exists a need to consider more general design approaches of such systems such as the integrated structure/controller design approach to solve such problems. Integrated structure/controller design approaches applied to vehicle active/semi-active suspension systems typically first considers the design of the mechanical structure parameters, followed by design of the control system. When the structure design and controller design are considered independently, global optimal performance for the system cannot be achieved. This paper presents an approach for the design of both mechanical structure parameters and control parameters of semi-active suspension systems, by integrating the structure and control parameter design based on genetic algorithms (GA) and the H_∞ control scheme. The effectiveness of the proposed integrated design method, to improve riding comfort, is demonstrated with theoretical analysis, simulation and experimental results.