Browse Publications Technical Papers 2021-01-5114
2021-12-23

Developing a Suspension System for an Autonomous Personal Rapid Transit Prototype Vehicle 2021-01-5114

This paper introduces a novel personal rapid transit (PRT) system and further describes the process of designing and optimizing the suspension system for the prototype vehicle. The objective of the prototype development is to build a small, low-cost, lightweight, and comfortable vehicle. The current build of the vehicle lacks enough roll stiffness or a smooth ride. As such, a complete redesign of the suspension system for the next generation of prototypes is desired. The Short-Long Arm (SLA) double wishbone suspension with an outboard coil is the design of choice for the new prototype. To evaluate the ride and safety, a quarter-car model is evaluated for suspension travel, body acceleration, and dynamic wheel load over a pseudo-random road profile. The results from these models show a comparison between the two prototype vehicles in relation to their ride comfort and safety. For lateral stability, a few performance metrics are discussed, and the two designs are compared by their body roll angle against steady-state lateral acceleration. The design is validated by comparing the yaw rate and roll rate data from the simulation and road tests. Furthermore, the process of designing springs for the desired stiffness of this vehicle and the overall design philosophy of the mechanical structure of the vehicle is described.

SAE MOBILUS

Subscribers can view annotate, and download all of SAE's content. Learn More »

Access SAE MOBILUS »

Members save up to 16% off list price.
Login to see discount.
Special Offer: Download multiple Technical Papers each year? TechSelect is a cost-effective subscription option to select and download 12-100 full-text Technical Papers per year. Find more information here.
X