Dynamic performance and pneumatic power characteristics of automotive air suspension systems: Integrated modeling and experimental validation

Air suspension systems exhibit strongly nonlinear behavior due to air compressibility, thermodynamic effects, and pneumatic flow restrictions. This study develops and experimentally validates an integrated analytical model of an air suspension system. The model integrates air-spring thermodynamics, compressible solenoid-valve flow, reservoir pressure dynamics, and compressor performance characteristics. Validation is performed at component and system levels using sinusoidal excitation tests and vehicle-leveling experiments under curb vehicle weight (CVW) and gross vehicle weight (GVW) conditions. Simulation results agree well with experimental measurements, confirming the model’s predictive capability. Using the validated model, pressure-source configurations (compressor-only and reservoir-assisted systems) are analyzed from dynamic and energy perspectives. The results show that the total mechanical work required for ride-height adjustment is nearly independent of reservoir capacity, whereas the reservoir significantly changes the temporal energy-transfer characteristics. Reservoir-assisted systems achieve approximately five times higher power density than compressor-only systems, enabling faster ride-height response. Furthermore, reservoir capacity mainly influences residual buffer energy and pressure stability, not single-event energy demand. The proposed energy-based framework provides a quantitative basis for early-stage specification design of pneumatic suspension systems, supporting improved responsiveness, pressure stability, and energy efficiency.