Dynamic analysis of a quarter car model using power law damper

Abstract

The suspension system of a car is important in order to provide better ride comfort and passenger safety. The quarter car model is a simplified dynamical system that enables one to analyze the suspension dynamics of a car. In this work, a power law damper is integrated in the quarter car model and its performance is compared with the conventional linear damper. The model is studied using simulation and the performance of the quarter car model is analyzed for motion over a Gaussian profile. It is found that among the ride comfort, suspension travel, and road holding capacity, the ride comfort is the most sensitive to power law index, while the road holding capacity is the least sensitive to it.