Optimum Design of Suspension Systems Under Kinematical Constraints

Suspension systems are designed by considering comfort and durability issues. If suspension systems are analyzed from the view point of acceleration and force transmission, two design criteria are obtained that can be used in optimum design of these suspension systems. For individual links of these suspension systems, these criteria are minimum transmissibility condition and percussion center of the links, which are derived through kinematical analysis. While minimum transmissibility condition can be imposed geometrically, location of percussion center of a link can be optimized by using finite element model of the link. It is shown that accelerations and reaction forces that are transmitted to the chassis of the vehicle can be reduced by considering these issues.