Evaluating vibration performance of a semi-active MR engine mount

Ride comfort is one of the main indexes of a comfortable vehicle, and engine mounts play an undeniable role in it. In this paper, a simplified model of an engine system is expressed to evaluate the performance of a semi-active MagnetoRheological (MR) engine mount and compare it with that of the passive Hydraulic Engine Mount (HEM) on which engine is originally mounted, to investigate if it is advantageous to be used in engine system instead of the HEM. Two methods are used to control the semi-active system including skyhook and robust μ-synthesis. It is attempted to improve two performance cases via the controlled MR engine mount: to reduce the force transmitted to the chassis initiating from engine forces, and to control the relative displacement of engine mount from road excitation. Considerable improvement is achieved over the HEM by applying the MR mount.