Structure’s multi-objective optimization and controllers’ design for a bus driver's seat suspension based on particle swarm optimization

The study has contributed a novel method in simultaneously optimizing the acceleration and relative displacement of the driver’s seat suspension in multiple load cases (normal, average, and heavy) and road excitations (transient and random) using Pareto-Weighted Square Sum with Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) while satisfying complex constraints on comfort, stability, and system safety. The highlight of the optimization process lies in considering the dynamic influence of the X-shaped guide system on the behavior of elastic and damping components. The study has proposed a method to design and integrate the Proportional-Derivative Fuzzy Logic (PD FLC) and Decoupled Sliding Mode (DA-SMC) control systems into the seat’s suspension to reduce driver displacement. The novelty of this method is that the controllers are optimized for many technical parameters simultaneously with PSO; the PD FLC set includes 03 coefficients K 1 , K 2 , K 3 ; and the DA-SMC set includes 03 coefficients p , η , Δ . The controllers help reduce seat displacement with an efficiency of over 12.5% when subjected to transient excitation and over 30% when subjected to random excitation.