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General Motors, ArvinMeritor and Pratt & Miller Engineering partnered in the development of a 2 Channel Active Roll Control (2ARC) system as a GM GATS (Global Advanced Technology Selection) project. The objective was to evaluate a 2ARC system using rotary actuators to generate auxiliary roll moment. The prototype system was designed with extra capacity so that it could be scaled back to identify ideal production roll control performance targets. The active roll control system consists of two independently controlled active stabilizer bars. Each axle uses a brushless DC servo motor to drive a bidirectional gear pump which provides on demand hydraulic power to a single vane rotary actuator mounted in the center of the stabilizer bar. This hydraulic architecture was selected to improve overall system efficiency as compared to engine driven pump systems. A model based systems engineering approach was taken with this development.

This paper is an introduction to Formula SAE® (FSAE) suspension and frame design based on the experience of the design team at UM-Rolla. The basic theories and methodologies for designing these systems are presented so that new teams will have a baseline for their first FSAE design. Examples will be given based on UM-Rolla's 1996 FSAE entry.