ELECTROMAGNETIC SUSPENSION

FOR AUTOMOTIVES USING

PRINCIPLES OF WAVE
PROPAGATION
A THEORETICAL PROJECT ON PHYSICS

STUDENT NAME: S. Arvind

CLASS:
XII
SECTION:
A

TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
SUSPENSION SYSTEM
MOTION SICKNESS
HEAD TOSS

CONVENTIONAL SUSPENSION
AN ALTERNATIVE
CONTROL UNIT ALGORITHM
APPLICATIONS
CONCLUSION
BIBLIOGRAPHY

4
5
6
7
8

9
10
11
13
14
15

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I would like to acknowledge everyone involved in
this research with my heart-felt thanks for helping
me to complete my project successfully. I would also
like to thank my parents for providing me with the
ample resources and loads of support, thereby,
enabling a relaxed and focussed workflow. I would
also like to thank the school for providing me a
harmonious learning environment and quality
infrastructure for carrying out my research. Last but
not the least, I would like to convey my heart-felt
thanks to our physics faculty M.S.Geetha for her
invaluable time and guidance, enabling fruitful
research in this topic without whom, this project
would never have been possible.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

In many of today's production vehicles, the
suspension system comprises front and rear
suspension modules that bolt to the underside of the
vehicle. This kind of suspension which uses normal
torsion springs transmit the forced vibration of
impact of the tyre with the ground to the body of the
vehicle, by Newtons III law, resulting in an
uncomfortable ride. Hence, the aim of this project is
explore the theoretical possibility of an alternative, by
flipping through the mathematical studies from
various secondary sources, where dynamic linkages
are used to eliminate any discomfort.

SUSPENSION SYSTEM
Suspension system is the term given to the
system of springs, shock absorbers and linkages that
connects a vehicle to its wheels. It is basically
cushion for passengers that protects their luggage
while shielding itself from any kind of damage and
wear. The major key roles for an ideal suspension
system to play in a vehicle are:
It is able to support the weight of an automobile.
Provides a smooth and comfortable ride.
Protects the vehicles from wear and tear.
Enabling constant contact between tire and the
ground (Traction).
Isolates body from any kind of jerks or shocks.

Most importantly, improved suspension means

improved comfort. And the most common foes of
comfort in case of automotive vehicles are:
Motion sickness
head toss

MOTION SICKNESS
Motion sickness, particularly when reading, is a
common by-product of exposure to optical mirages
of inertial motion. This phenomenon, which is called
visually-induced motion sickness, has been reported
in a variety of virtual environments, such as fixedbase flight and automobile simulators.
Moreover, motion sickness most commonly
occurs with acceleration in a direction perpendicular
to the longitudinal axis of the body, which is why
head movements away from the direction of motion
are mostly infuriating. The vertical oscillatory motion
of the coil spring at a frequency of 0.2 Hz is most
likely to cause motion sickness, although the
incidence of motion sickness quite rapidly falls at
higher frequencies. This results in the design criteria
for active systems where in frequencies lower than 1
Hz need to be eliminated, considering the fact that
approximately 60% of the children get motion
sickness on long distance trips on cars. (Im one
among them).
7

HEAD TOSS
Head toss happens when a car makes a sudden
roll motion, e.g., occurring when one tire drives
through a deep hole. This is not due to optical
mirages; rather, it happens because the receptor
mechanisms of the three canals arranged
perpendicular to each other in each inner ear getting
activated by angular acceleration of the head. At
frequencies between the range of 12 Hz, the head
moved with the body, but as the frequency range
increases to 28 Hz, the amplitude of head
acceleration is increased, indicating that oscillation
about a centre of rotation begins to occur low in the
body inducing possibly large angular movements
within this frequency range because of the linear
component of acceleration delivered to the lower
spine, which may result in body aches.

CONVENTIONAL SUSPENSION
Currently all commercial body control systems
use hydraulics to provide active suspension to
improve vehicle roll behaviour (thus reducing motion
sickness and head loss) and stable ride control.
PROs :
very high force density*
ease of control
ease of design
CONs :
Considered inefficient due to the requirement of a
continuously pressurised system.
Environmental pollution due to hose leaks and
ruptures, where hydraulic fluids are very toxic.
Mass and intractable space requirements of the
total system, including supply system, even though
it mainly contributes to the sprung mass
(suspended mass on coil spring).
On the whole, while hydraulic systems reduce
roll during cornering turns, the discomfort that is
* In fluid mechanics, the force density is the negative gradient of pressure. It
has the physical dimensions of force per unit volume.

caused due to shocks is not reduced. Hence, on

achieving control, comfort has been sacrificed.

AN ALTERNATIVE
On deep analysis of the problem, we realise that
instead of using dense hydraulic fluids that consume
a lot of space and weight in the automotive system,
we could use Electromagnetically powered
suspension system because, while hydraulic fluids,
which is non-dynamic can withstand only a
particular bandwidth of frequency of shock,
electromagnetically powered suspension can
withstand for a wider range while maintaining
traction and comfort. Also, since electromagnets get
activated only when electric power is supplied,
continuous application of pressure in system is not
required saving space as well as energy. Electrical
power is delivered to the motor by a power amplifier
in response to signals from the control algorithms.
The bidirectional power amplifier allows power to
flow into the linear electromagnetic motor and allows
power to be returned from the motor. For example,
when the suspension encounters a pothole, power is
10

used to extend the motor and isolate the vehicles

occupants from disturbance. On the far side of
the pothole, the motor operates as a generator to
provide the power back through the amplifier,
eliminating any type of vibration from being felt
inside the passenger cabin.

CONTROL UNIT ALGORITHM

The control unit which expands and contracts
the electromagnetic motor actively, needs to act on a
set of instructions to work properly. This set of
instructions is a series of complex calculations based
on a very simple concept: ratio of masses. roll
11

and pitch behaviour can also be modelled as an

equivalent disturbance force acting on the body
mass.This model allows, for example, the
investigation of the increase or decrease in the
respective sprung and unsprung masses on the
response of body height due to road disturbances. be
observed that increasing the unsprung mass (for a
wheel motor design), and decreasing the sprung
mass, (the more electrical car), or increasing the
unsprung-to-sprung mass r increase in response of
the frequency range between 2 and 10 Hz, which
decreases the isolation of road disturbances and
comfort.
Hence, the suspension system should be
designed for maximum sprung to-unsprung mass
ratio while minimising total mass. mass, (mb)
represents the car chassis (body) and the mass,
represents the wheel assembly. The spring, damper,
(bs) represent the passive spring and shock absorber
placed between the car body and the wheel spring,
(kt) models the compressibility of the pneumatic tire.
The variables xb, xw, and r are the car body travel, the
wheel travel, and the road disturbance, respectively.
12

The force, which is applied between the body and

wheel assembly, controlled by feedback. This force
represents the active component of the suspension
system.
EQUATION COMES HERE

APPLICATIONS
VIBRATION FREE AMBULANCES:
An ambulance fitted with this system will be able to
transport patients quickly and free of disturbing
road-surface vibrations.
NO MORE TRAVEL SICKNESS:
Safe journeys finally become possible with the new
suspension, virtually eliminating all disturbing
influences of the impact vibrations from the road.

13

CONCLUSION
Thus I would like to conclude stating that there
must be no compensation when it comes to comfort.
And to prove that, this suspension system, which is
now being renovated and reinvented, has been the
prime focus of many technology companies like
Bose BMW have been working on their own
variations and have been successful in creating
prototypes though it would be a matter of few years
until it strikes the road at a very affordable rate. Thus,
researching on the current trends of technology, I
have been able to obtain significant knowledge and
know-how of the aspects of wave propagation and
electromagnetism in the making of this groundbreaking innovation.

14

BIBLIOGRAPHY
google.com
wikipedia.org
www.bose.com
Google Images

15