Impact-resistant design and dual-mode control strategy for variable-damping electromagnetic suspensions with an adaptive switching mechanism

The electromagnetic semi-active suspension has received widespread attention due to its fast response speed and good controllability. However, its inevitable high-speed impact effect hinders its development and engineering application. To address this issue, an impact-resistant electromagnetic suspension (IRES) with a multi-mode switchable design was proposed, incorporating variable damping (VD) mode and impact-resistant (IR) mode. The designed mode-switching structure can automatically switch between the two modes based on the force conditions of the impact-resistant device. The dynamic model was developed and the parameters of the mode-switching structure were analyzed and optimized. Also, a nonlinear controller and its associated control strategy have been designed to dynamically adjust the optimal damping force for different operating modes in real time. Characteristic verification and performance evaluation experiments of the IRES were conducted, and the results show that the proposed IRES operates in VD mode under low-impact conditions, maintaining highly efficient damping regulation for superior vibration isolation. While under high-impact conditions, it switches to IR mode, where elastic elements rapidly absorb energy to provide outstanding impact resistance performance. This dual-mode mechanism effectively reconciles the requirements for both vibration isolation and impact resistance.