Multi-Objective Optimisation of the Electric Wheelchair Ride Comfort and Road Holding Based on Jourdain’s Principle Model and Genetic Algorithm

The paper addresses the multi-body modelling of an electric wheelchair using Jourdain’s principle. First, a description of the adopted approach was presented. Next, the mathematical equations were developed to obtain the dynamic behaviour of the concerned system. The numerical computation was performed with MATLAB (matrix laboratory: a high performance language of technical computing) and validated by MBD (Multi-Body Dynamics) for Ansys, a professional multi-body dynamics simulation software powered by RecurDyn. Afterwards, the model was treated as an objective function included in genetic algorithm. The goal was to improve the ride quality and the road holding as well as the suspension workspace. The multi-objective optimisation aimed to reduce the Root-Mean-Square (RMS) of the seat’s vertical acceleration, the wheels load and the workspace modulus by varying the bodies’ masses, the spring-damper coefficients and the characteristics of the tires. Acceptable solutions were captured on the Pareto fronts, in contrast to the relatively considerable processing time involved in the use of a random road profile generated by the power spectral density (PSD). During the process, the compatibility and the efficiency of Jourdain’s equations were inspected.