Semi-active vibration control of horizontal seat suspension by using magneto-rheological damper

In this paper, the modelling process and control strategy of a semi-active seat suspension with a magneto-rheological damper (MR) is presented. The proposed system should protect operators of working machines against vibration in the horizontal direction. The control algorithm mimics the desired force that might be introduced into the seat suspension actively. The model parameters are determined experimentally as a function of the control current. The elaborated system is tested by using an electro-hydraulic shaker that generates vibrations for the semi-active seat suspension with the seated human body. Power spectral densities and transmissibility functions are presented as the results of simulations and measurements. In addition, transmissibility factors and maximum relative displacements of the suspension are evaluated for both the conventional passive seat suspension and the semi-active system with an MR damper.