Energy-Harvesting Characteristics of a Dual-Mode Magnetic Suspension for Vehicles: Analysis and Experimental Verification

The advantages of the proposed dual-mode magnetic suspension are it having a high level of safety and a compact structure compared with the previous studies. However, the structure parameters can affect the energy harvesting of the suspension system. Therefore, this paper aims to analyze the energy-harvesting characteristics of the proposed dual-mode magnetic suspension. Firstly, the structure and working principle of the proposed suspension are introduced. Then, the influences of the various parameters for the actuator on the energy regeneration characteristics are analyzed by the finite element method, such as the magnetic ring, the fixed plug thickness, the heat dissipation, and the air gap, and the actuator parameters are defined by the orthogonal analysis method. Furthermore, the numerical results of the energy harvesting are calculated. Finally, the vibration experimental setup is manufactured, and the simulation analysis is verified by the experiment. The results demonstrate that the excitation amplitude is 3.1 mm, the frequency is 18 Hz, and the maximum induced EMF is 8.8 V. Additionally, compared with passive suspension, the energy harvesting of the proposed suspension has been verified in the laboratory, which lays the foundation for the design and analysis of the dual-mode magnetic suspension in a real vehicle.