SBIR-STTR Award

A road wheel suspension incorporating a semi-active damper and fast load leveling spring system will be developed for the Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle (EFV). The system will be designed as a replacement for the currently fielded semi-active suspension system in the same foot print, either in early production units or as a retrofit package for incorporation later in the development cycle. A suspended seat will also be evaluated to mitigate shock and vibration transmitted into the EFV crew during both land and sea operations. In Phase I, a conceptual design of all the major components for the roadwheel suspension as well as the architecture for both control hardware and software will be developed. Dynamic modeling will be used to predict system benefits and provide requirements to the design process. The improved suspension will target equivalent functionality with greatly improved shock, vibration mitigation and improved dynamic stability. The Phase I Option will be focused on generating a detailed layout of the roadwheel suspension based on the component specifications and packaging constraints identified in Phase I. This will provide the basis for the detailed design and fabrication of a prototype system capable of withstanding extended proof of concept testing in Phase II

A semi-active suspension upgrade kit for the SOCOM up-armored HMWWV will be developed that will achieve comparable performance for the entire weight range of a GMV: 8300lbs curb weight to 14,500lbs combat loaded. The baseline performance requirement is equivalent handling, stability and ride quality as an M1113 HMMWV at rated GVW. A dynamic model that incorporates the semi-active suspension into a full body HMMWV model will be used to validate the performance benefits predicted in Phase I. Extensive performance and durability testing will be conducted on both laboratory test rigs and road courses. A Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) will be conducted to identify potential faults and generate strategies for fault mitigation. Operator feedback methodology as well as diagnostics tools for use by maintenance personnel will be developed based on the FMEA. A redesign for production effort will provide a means of incorporating feedback from testing and the FMEA into the final production ready design as well as examining the prototype design for weight, complexity and cost reduction. An economic analysis will be performed to predict the total life cycle costs for both new vehicle builds and retrofit installations

Keywords:
suspension, semi-active, damping, isolation, shock mitigation, absorbtion, vibration