AbstractsEngineering

A design process for selection of suspension components for a hybrid vehicle has been proposed. A stock SUV was placed on a suspension parameter measurement machine (SPMM) to collect data on characteristics such as ride rate and roll rate as a baseline. The same SUV was placed on the SPMM again after it was modified into a hybrid vehicle. The added weight of the hybrid components resulted in different data from the SPMM than that of the stock vehicle. By using these two sets of data, suspension components such as springs and anti-roll bars can be designed to bring the hybrid vehicle ride and roll characteristics back to the stock characteristics. The results will be used to design components for The University of Akron hybrid vehicle.