Modeling and Simulation of Active Suspension System for Road Vehicles and Sensitivity to Design Criteria for Energy Efficiency

Active suspensions in automotive applications are designed to improve vehicle stability and comfort and reduce vibration transmission from the road surface. Active systems often include a dedicated actuator, and, to reduce their mass and energy absorption, it is a typical choice to rely on brushless electric motors with permanent magnets containing Critical Raw Materials such as Neodymium, a Rare Earth Element (REE), offering favorable power density values. Although these systems offer clear advantages in terms of ride quality and performance, their direct and indirect energy requirements, combined with their dependence on resource-intensive materials, raise concerns about life cycle sustainability: in other words, there is a trade-off between production impact (relevant for REE) and use impact (reduced by REE adoption). To address this issue, the research proposes a method to estimate energy consumption during the use phase of a vehicle through a dedicated parametric modeling and simulation framework; the aim is to evaluate the energy performance of active suspension systems under different road and driving conditions. The analysis explores how design parameters and operational choices affect energy consumption and efficiency. The simulation results reveal a marked sensitivity of system performance to road profiles and driving scenarios, highlighting the importance of holistic assessments during the early stages of design. The proposed framework represents a first step toward integrating circular design principles into the development of active suspensions. By combining technical and environmental perspectives, it supports the development of next-generation automotive components that balance comfort, performance, and sustainability.