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The continuously variable damper is widely used in the semi-active suspension system since it can yield various damping forces at a given damper velocity. By applying an appropriate control scheme to the damper, satisfaction of both ride comfort and driving safety can be realized. For successful development of the semi-active suspension system, a model that accurately describes the complex and nonlinear behavior of the continuously variable damper is crucial. In this research, a modeling technique for the continuously variable damper has been studied. Various damper components have been analyzed and their effects upon damper characteristics have been closely investigated. The effects of the damper characteristics change upon ride comfort and driving safety has also been investigated via simulations.

This paper presents a new method for the 5mph vehicle's bumper section shape optimization. The Intermediate Response Surface Modeling (IRSM) technique is newly introduced to approximate the nonlinear force-deflection curves. This can avoid the excessive 3D nonlinear FEM analysis during the optimization process. Then, the accuracy of the IRSM models is examined by comparing their results with those of the 3D nonlinear FEM. Finally it is shown that the proposed approach is effective to design the 5mph vehicle bumper section.