Performance Analysis of Seat Inertial Suspension Vibration Suppression and Energy Harvesting for Electric Commercial Vehicles

This study examines the efficacy of a seat inertial suspension system in relation to vibration isolation and energy recovery in electric commercial vehicles. The research focuses on the structural modifications of the suspension system that arise from the incorporation of an inerter, a novel vibration isolation component. A dynamic model of the seat inertial suspension is constructed, which includes two different structures consisting of components connected in parallel and in series. The analysis explores how the absorption of suspension parameters affects both seat comfort and the characteristics of energy harvesting. Furthermore, an optimal design methodology for the seat inertial suspension is proposed, seat comfort and energy recovery efficiency are also taken into consideration. The findings reveal that the parallel-structured seat inertial suspension system demonstrates superior overall performance. Specifically, it achieves a 36.6% reduction in seat acceleration, a 55.3% decrease in suspension working space, and an energy harvesting efficiency of 41.9%. The seat inertial suspension significantly improves occupant comfort by reducing seat acceleration, significantly reducing the amplitude of seat suspension movement, and recovering most of the seat suspension’s vibration energy, in comparison to traditional seat suspension systems.