Design Aspects of an Active Electromagnetic Suspension System for Automotive Applications

This paper is concerned with the design aspects of an active electromagnet suspension system for automotive applications which combines a brushless tubular permanent-magnet actuator with a passive spring. This system provides for additional stability and safety by performing active roll and pitch control during cornering and braking. Furthermore, elimination of the road irregularities is possible, hence, passenger drive comfort is increased. Based upon measurements, static and dynamic specifications of the actuator are derived. The electromagnetic suspension is installed on a quarter-car test setup, and the improved performance using roll control is measured and compared with a commercial passive system. An alternative design using a slotless external-magnet tubular actuator is proposed which fulfills the thermal and volume specifications.