Semi-active Control Method for Valve-controlled Hydraulic Dampers in Metro Vehicles

doi:10.3901/JME.260502

Abstract

Abstract: To address severe lateral vibration issues caused by track irregularity of metro railway and excessive wheel-rail wear, this study proposes a valve-controlled semi-active hydraulic damper-based optimization method for lateral vibration control to enhance vehicle ride comfort and track adaptability. A mechatronic coupled dynamics and control model was developed for a 120 km/h subway vehicle equipped with a semi-active damping system, incorporating five control strategies including skyhook damping control. Through integration with experimentally measured damper force-velocity-current characteristics, the study systematically investigated the interaction mechanisms among wheel-rail matching conditions, response delay, and control parameters. Simulation results indicate that the hybrid control strategy combining continuous skyhook damping with acceleration damping achieves superior vibration suppression compared to three alternative skyhook damping strategies. When the damper’s proportional valve operates with driving current, the output force increases substantially (up to 10 kN), resulting in increased Sperling index, ride comfort index, and lateral acceleration, consequently diminishing vibration mitigation effectiveness. In contrast, when the driving current exceeds 14 mA, the damper force stabilizes at approximately 5 kN, achieving significant improvements in both lateral ride comfort and vibration reduction. Thus, an optimal driving current of 14-16 mA is recommended. Furthermore, the effectiveness of semi-active dampers in mitigating vehicle vibration becomes more pronounced at higher speeds and under severe wheel-rail wear conditions. Different control strategies exhibit distinct sensitivity characteristics to response delays in semi-active dampers, leading to strategy-dependent critical delay thresholds. Notably, worn wheel conditions exhibit reduced tolerance to time delay compared to new wheel conditions. These conclusions provide111 theoretical guidance for addressing practical engineering challenges in valve-controlled hydraulic damper applications, specially concerning optimal control strategy selection, time delay impact assessment, and vibration control efficacy.

Key words: metro vehicles, vehicle dynamics, valve-driven hydraulic damper, ride comfort, active suspension control

CLC Number:

U211

GUO Jinying, SHI Huailong, ZHANG Yaoxun, ZHANG Haizhu. Semi-active Control Method for Valve-controlled Hydraulic Dampers in Metro Vehicles[J]. Journal of Mechanical Engineering, 2026, 62(10): 338-347.

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