A Comprehensive Analysis of a Truck–Semi-Trailer Performance Based on Hierarchical Controller Design to Enhance Driver Comfort and Dynamic Stability

Abstract

This study presents an integrated suspension system to improve the ride quality and stability of semi-trailer truck vehicles. The system consists of both an Air/MR-controlled suspension on the driver’s seat and on the truck cab, and an active air main suspension for the truck to improve vehicle stability. All components are connected to the truck and semi-trailer via a series of coupled connections. An analysis of dynamic stability reveals how the truck’s motions affect slosh forces within the semi-trailer during operation. An experimental validation of the new Air/MR suspension damper, developed using ANSYS 2023 R1 Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software, yielded results consistent with prior experimental evidence. The control strategy uses a hierarchical architecture in which an inverse LSTM network controls the MR damper, accurately following the damping forces generated by a higher-level RNN controller implemented in MATLAB. The RNN system adaptively adjusts the stiffness of the cab and driver seat suspension, isolating the cab from vibrations caused by uneven roads. The truck and trailer’s main air suspension uses LQR control, using state inputs to counteract vertical motions caused by road roughness and sloshing. An integrated nonlinear co-simulation model of the truck and semi-trailer—including the truck, sloshing trailer, nonlinear air springs, and CFD-based MR damper demonstrates the control system’s effectiveness. Simulation results compared with a passive suspension system show that the proposed integrated controlled suspension system significantly reduces the truck chassis bending moment, improves ride comfort (49.98%), reduces cab body displacement (63.60%), and increases dynamic stability (57.78%). Maximizing dynamic tire load due to slosh dynamics in both half-loaded and full-loaded tanks does not affect the effective dynamic stability of tire hopping at high frequencies because the stiffness coefficient is adaptively adjusted, thereby synchronizing disturbance rejection and long-term riding comfort in frequency-based control under different road conditions.