Quasi-Active Damping Available to Purchase

This article introduces a new method of system design using semi-active dampers named quasi-active damping. This technique is the design of dynamical systems and controllers using multiple semi-active dampers such that, at any instant, the desired control force can always be achieved using a combination of the dampers. The motivation is to produce levels of performance approaching those of active systems but with the energy consumption and stability of semi-active systems. The concept is demonstrated in simulation through the design of a stiffness-cancelling suspension system. It is also shown how the robustness of the system can be improved through the addition of a secondary, closed-loop, controller.