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2020-01-0921 Published 14 Apr 2020
Parameter Optimization of Anti-Roll Bar Based
on Stiffness
Zhenyu Wang, Donghua Guo, and Haoyu Wang Wuhan University of Technology
Gangfeng Tan Suizhou-WUT Industry Research Institute
Yifeng Jiang, Ming Li, and Xiaoge Hou Wuhan University of Technology
Citation: Wang, Z., Guo, D., Wang, H., Tan, G. et al., “Parameter Optimization of Anti-Roll Bar Based on Stiffness,” SAE Technical Paper
2020-01-0921, 2020, doi:10.4271/2020-01-0921.
Abstract
T
he anti-roll bar is an important structural component
of the automobile, which can effectively prevent the
automobile from rolling and improve the safety of the
automobile during steering. In the design of the current anti-
roll bar, the stiffness is determined by empirical or oversimpli-
fied mathematical models, often not reaching the optimal
value. In this paper, eight parameters are used to determine
the structure of the anti-roll bar. Combining the Deformation
Energy theorem and Castigliano’s theorem, a mathematical
model of the stiffness is established. The optimal solution and
corresponding parameter values of the mathematical model
Introduction
T
he anti-roll bar plays an important role in the roll
stability of the vehicle. As a component that directly
connects the sprung mass and the unsprung mass, the
anti-roll bar is widely used in vehicles to suppress the roll of
the vehicle body during cornering by controlling the lateral
weight transfer. In addition, the current active anti-roll bar
has gradually developed to maturity. It can compare the
current attitude of the vehicle body with the ideal one so that
the active anti-roll bar can change its stiffness in real-time
according to the driving conditions. In fact, whether it is active
or passive, they all reflect the anti-roll effect by stiffness. When
the automobile is cornering, if the stiffness is larger, the anti-
rolling moment at the same roll angle is larger, and the body
is more stable, and the safety of the driver and passengers can
be better guaranteed.
Researchers have recognized the impact of anti-roll bar
stiffness on vehicle roll stability and attempted to improve
stiffness based on the structure of the anti-roll bar. Shi Bajun
used the Moore integral to derive the formula for calculating
the roll stiffness of the anti-roll bar [1]. The feasibility of the
method was verified by the finite element method. Besides,
the anti-rolling effect of different anti-roll bars was also
compared. And the influence of two structural parameters on
the stiffness of the anti-roll bar was analyzed. Zhang Ruidong
are obtained by nonlinear programming and genetic algo-
rithm. The influence of structural parameters on the anti-roll
bar stiffness is analyzed, and the regular pattern of design is
obtained. In addition, the finite element method is used to
verify the stiffness solution model. In the experiment, the
anti-roll bar designed by the regular pattern is attached to the
Baja Racing, and the stiffness of the bar is changed by adjusting
the length of the arm of the bar, then the correctness of the
design regular pattern is verified by testing the roll response.
The improved anti-roll bar can effectively improve the anti-roll
stiffness and has a better effect on the cornering stability of
the automobile.
analyzed the relationship between four structural parameters
and the stiffness of the anti-roll bar and derived a simplified
stiffness mathematical model [2]. Ding Nenggen analyzed the
equivalent transformation of the angular stiffness of the anti-
roll bar at the wheel [3]. In addition, he also obtained the
design regular pattern to enlarge the equivalent angular stiff-
ness. Zeng Yili established the calculation model of the
angular stiffness of the anti-roll bar considering the arc transi-
tion [4]. Ian Czaja analyzed the effects on the reliability of the
anti-roll bar from the noise, vibration, and appearance, and
derived a simplified stiffness solution model [5]. And the
design scheme was given in terms of material, processing, the
position of a bushing and so on. Per Hyldahl used beam finite
elements to model and analyzed the anti-roll bar based on the
absolute nodal coordinate formula (ANCF) [6]. L. N. B.
Gummadi used the CAE simulation method to study the stiff-
ness and stress of the anti-roll bar from the type and instal-
lation of the bushing [7].
After referring to the existing research, the structure of
the anti-roll bar is represented by eight parameters. Under the
premise of considering the arc transition, the solution model
of the anti-roll bar angular stiffness is derived by the
Deformation Energy theorem and Castigliano’s theorem. Then
the genetic algorithm and nonlinear programming are
used to search the maximum angular stiffness and its
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2 PARAMETER OPTIMIZATION OF ANTI-ROLL BAR BASED ON STIFFNESS

corresponding structural parameters. On this basis, the

regular pattern between the structure and the stiffness of the Mechanical Model
anti-roll bar is obtained, and the parameter optimization of
the anti-roll bar is completed.
Derivation
This part is to derive the angular stiffness solution model of
the anti-roll bar. When the vehicle turns the corner, the rolling
Assumptions of the body and the bending of the anti-roll bar are shown in
Figure 2. The vehicle body produces a roll angle ϕ, and
different height h is formed at the ends of the anti-roll bar (A,
This part introduces the simplified processing method of the
A’) relative to the midpoint of the anti-roll bar, at which time
anti-roll bar and prepares for the following mechanical
the bar produces equal and opposite forces F at the ends. The
model derivation.
pair of forces is perpendicular to the bar and can form a force
The anti-roll bar is an accessory part of the suspension
couple MF:
system, and its structural shape depends on the vehicle,
thereby exhibiting a variety of appearances and shapes [1]. MF = F ´ L (1)
Although the anti-roll bar of each automobile is different in
size and shape, its shape is generally “U” shaped. In order to This force couple causes the anti-roll bar to produce
facilitate the research, the shape of the anti-roll bar can torque and bending moments, and different bending moments
be simplified. The simplified anti-roll bar model is shown in and torques are generated in different parts of the bar during
Figure 1, and the simplification process is as follows: the deformation process. Moreover, the structure and force
of the anti-roll bar are bilaterally symmetrical, so only one
1. Ignore the change in the cross-sectional shape of the side needs to be analyzed. The integral process of the bending
anti-roll bar, and treat it as a circular cross-section of moment is shown in equation (2), in which the integral
equal size. variable that represents the length is x, and the integral
2. It is assumed that the connecting arm (AB section) variable that represents the angle is β [2].
and the main body (CC’ section) of the anti-roll bar
are connected by a smooth arc segment. ìFx 0 £ x £ L0
ïF (L cos b + Rsin b ) AB part
3. Assuming that the length of the bushings (D, D’) is ï 0 0 £ b £q
infinitely close to zero, the constraint of the bushing ï BC part
M (x ) = íF (L 4 + x ) 0 £ x £ L5 (2)
allows the anti-roll bar to rotate only about the axis of ï æ CD part
ïF ç L 4 + L 5 + ( 1
the bushings. Ignore the friction between the anti-roll L - L)x ö L
÷ 0£x £ 1 DE part
bar and the bushings, and only consider the radial ïî è L1 ø 2
displacement constraint of the bushing on the
anti-roll bar. The torque is shown in equation (3):
4. Since the roll angle of the body is usually small, in the
range of 0° to 10°, so it can be approximated as ì0 0 £ x £ L0 AB part
sinθ ≈ θ, and this approximate relationship is used in ï
T ( x ) = ïF ( L0 sin b + R (1 - cos b ) ) 0 £ b £q BC part
the calculation of the angular stiffness below. í
ï L2
Based on the above assumptions, the structure of the ïîFL3 0£x £ CE part
2
anti-roll bar can be determined by eight parameters to achieve (3)
a parametric analysis. And, the eight parameters are θ, R, L0,
L1, L2, L3, L4, L5. Through the Deformation Energy principle and
Castigliano’s theorem of material mechanics, the angular stiff-
ness of the anti-roll bar can be solved[8]. Firstly, the deforma-
tion energy of the bar is calculated. The deformation caused
by the bending moments and torques is independent of each
other. The total deformation energy is equal to the sum of the
FIGURE 1 A simple representation of the anti-roll bar
considered in this paper. FIGURE 2 When the vehicle turns the corner, its body
produces a roll angle ϕ and the anti-rolling bar bends.
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PARAMETER OPTIMIZATION OF ANTI-ROLL BAR BASED ON STIFFNESS 3

energies. The deformation energy of bending moment UM and Substituting the equation (1, 10) into the equation (9), the
torque UT are given by: roll stiffness is:
M 2 ( x ) dx
UM =
òl
2 EI
(4) Kf =
FL2
2h
(11)

T 2 ( x ) dx
UT =
ò 2GI p
(5)
l
Where E is the elastic modulus of the material, G is the
Anti-Roll Bar Stiffness
shear modulus, I is the principal moment of inertia of the
section, and Ip is the polar moment of inertia. Substituting the
Optimization
equation ((2), (3)) into the formula ((4), (5)) respectively, calcu- Based on Nonlinear
late the deformation energy of the bending moment UM by
piecewise integration: Programming and
é L1 ( L 4 + L5 )2 L30 cos 3 q L1 ( L - L1 )2 Genetic Algorithm
UM = ê + +
êë 2 3 24 In this part, the maximum value of the anti-roll bar stiffness
is found by a hybrid nonlinear programming-genetic algo-

+
(
L5 3L24 + 3L 4L5 + L25 ) + R sin q
3 3 rithm. By analyzing the corresponding structural parameters,
the design regular pattern between stiffness and structure
3 3
is found.
L1 ( L - L1 ) ( L 4 + L5 ) The angular stiffness function of the anti-roll bar consists
+ L0R 2 sin 2 q cos (q ) - of eight variables, which is a nonlinear programming function,
4
and these independent variables are related to each other, and
+ L20R cos 2 (q ) s in q ùû ´ F 2 / ( 2EI ) (6) there are multiple nonlinear and linear constraints. Most of
the nonlinear programming algorithms are solved by gradient
Calculating the deformation energy of the torque UT: descent. It is a kind of algorithm with strong local search
ability, but its global search ability is weak. The genetic algo-
rithm uses the selection, crossover, and mutation operators
é R 3cos 3q L2L23 to search. Its global search ability is strong, but the local search
U T = êR 3cos 2q - + + L20R
ë 3 2 ability is weak[9]. In this paper, the nonlinear programming
genetic algorithm is used to solve the maximum stiffness of
L2 sinq L0c os (q ) sinq
3 2
R3 the anti-roll bar. It combines the advantages of the nonlinear
+ - R 3cosq + 0 -
3 3 3 programming algorithm and the genetic algorithm so that
the two algorithms complement each other. On the one hand,
-L20Rcosq sin 2q + L20Rsinq - L20Rcos 2q the genetic algorithm is used for global search, and on the
other hand, the nonlinear programming algorithm is used
F2 for local search, so that the optimal solution of anti-roll bar
+L0R 2cos 2q sinq - 2L0R 2cosq sinq ùû ´ (7)
2GI P stiffness is obtained.
The deformation energy generated by the torque and the
bending moment is added to obtain the total deformation
energy U:
Algorithmic Establishment
Process
U M + UT = U (8)
In the process of establishing the algorithm, the structural
Castigliano’s theorem states that the partial derivative of constant of the anti-roll bar should first be determined. The
the deformation energy to any external force F is equal to the length of the anti-roll bar should be designed to match
displacement of the F action point along its direction, denoted the wheelbase of the vehicle. Since the wheelbase is fixed, the
by h = ∂U/∂F. Therefore, the displacement h of the connection length of the anti-roll bar L is constant. It is assumed that
points (A, A’) between the anti-roll bar and the vehicle body the length of the anti-roll bar calculated is 2030mm and the
can be obtained. According to the definition of stiffness, the diameter of the section is 40mm. The elasticity modulus E is
roll stiffness of the anti-roll bar is: 198GPa and the Poisson’s ratio ν is 0.3. This specification is
M suitable for general commercial vehicles, and the following
Kf = F (9)
f relationship exists between the elastic modulus E and the
When the roll angle is small, it can be processed as follows: shear modulus G:
h 2h
f = arcsin » (10) E
L L G= (12)
2 2 (1 + n )
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4 PARAMETER OPTIMIZATION OF ANTI-ROLL BAR BASED ON STIFFNESS

TABLE 1 Geometric properties of the anti-roll bar. Fi

Pi =
å (14)
n
Geometric properties Values Fj
j =1
Elastic Modulus E 198Gpa

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Poisson's ratio ν 0.3 Where Fi is the fitness value of individual i. n is the
Shear Modulus G 76.15Gpa number of individuals in the population.
Moment of Inertia I 1.2566 × 105mm4
Polar Moment of Inertia Ip 2.5133 × 105mm4 4. Crossover
The crossover operation is the principle of genetic recombina-
tion in simulating biological reproduction. Two individuals
FIGURE 3 Flowchart of the algorithm. are obtained from parent individuals through selection opera-
tions. Through the exchange and combination of these two
chromosomes, the superior characteristics of the father are
passed on to the offspring, resulting in more excellent indi-
viduals. The crossover operation method of the k-th chromo-
some ak and the l-th chromosome al in the j position is:

akj = aij (1 - b ) + aljb (15)

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alj = alj (1 - b ) + akjb (16)
Where b is a random number in the interval [0, 1].

5. Mutation
The corresponding geometric properties of the anti-roll The main purpose of the mutation is to maintain population
bar are shown in Table 1. diversity. The mutation operation randomly selects an indi-
According to the genetic algorithm and nonlinear vidual from the population to mutate to produce a better
programming theory, the optimization algorithm is individual. The operation method of mutating the j-th gene
programmed in MATLAB. According to the thinking process aij of the i-th individual is:
of the algorithm, the fitness, selection, crossover, mutation,
main and nonlinear optimization functions are respectively ïìaij + ( aij - amax ) × f ( g )
aij = í (17)
ïî aij + ( amin - a j ) × f ( g )
written. The flowchart of the algorithm is shown in Figure 3.

1. Population Initialization
The genetic algorithm randomly generates n individuals at
the beginning, and the n individuals form the initial popula-
tion. The genetic algorithm starts the iterative calculation with
the n individuals as the starting point.
2. Fitness Function
The fitness function is a criterion for distinguishing the quality
of individuals in a group. It is the only basis for natural selec-
tion. In genetic algorithms, the smaller the function value,
the greater the fitness and the better the individual. In this
paper, what is sought is the maximum value of the anti-roll
bar stiffness, so the opposite of the stiffness is used as a
function of the algorithm. The fitness calculation function is:
F = -Kf
3. Selection
From the old group, some good individuals are selected with
a certain probability to form a new population, and the next
generation of individuals is obtained by reproduction. The
probability that the individual is selected is related to the
fitness value. The higher the individual fitness, the greater the
probability of being selected. In this paper, the selection
strategy based on fitness ratio is selected, and the probability
that individual i is selected is:
Where amax is the upper bound of the gene aij; amin is the
lower bound of the gene aij; f(g) = r2(1 − g/Gmax)2; r2 is a random
number; g is the current number of iterations; Gmax is the
maximum number of evolutions; and r is the random number
of the interval [0, 1].
The parameter settings of the genetic algorithm are
shown in Table 2.
6. Nonlinear Optimization
Whenever the genetic algorithm is iteratively calculated once,
the calculation result is the initial value, and the nonlinear
optimization function fmincon in the MATLAB optimization
toolbox is used for local optimization, and the found local
optimal value is continuously optimized as a new individual
chromosome. In the fmincon function, because of the
(13) geometric relationship between the structural parameters,
the nonlinear constraint relationship is added to the algo-
rithm. In addition, the optimization process of the algorithm
also needs to set the variation range of the variables. The
TABLE 2 Set the parameters in the genetic algorithm.
Evolutionary Population Cross Mutation
Parameter generation size probability probability
Values 18 30 0.6 0.01
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PARAMETER OPTIMIZATION OF ANTI-ROLL BAR BASED ON STIFFNESS
nonlinear constraint relationship and the range of variable
variation are given in the following boundary conditions.
7. Boundary Conditions
The geometry of the anti-roll bar is analyzed to obtain the
relationship between the various geometric parameters. The
nonlinear constraint relationship is given by:
ìL3 = L0 sinq + R (1 - cos q )
ï
ïïL 4 = L0 cos q + Rsinq
í L - L1
ïL 5 = 2 - L 4
ï
ïîL2 = L1 + 2L5
The range setting of the variables requires consideration
of the placement of the anti-roll bar in the automobiles as well
as the manufacturing process requirements. The length L of
the anti-roll bar needs to match the wheelbase of the vehicle,
so the length L is constant, and other variable parameters can
be determined by the ratio to L. In this way, if the models are
different, the value of L can be changed accordingly. The
setting of L0 needs to consider the structure of the chassis,
and the adjustment interval is [0.01L, 0.15L]. According to the
requirements of the manufacturing, the adjustment interval
of the fillet R is [0.01L, 0.15L], and the adjustment interval of
the angle θ is [π/6, 3π/4]. Because L1 indicates the mounting
position of the support frame, it also needs to take the struc-
ture of the chassis into account, and cannot conflict with the
arrangement of other components, whose adjustment interval
is [0.3L, 0.9L]. The upper and lower limits of the specific struc-
tural parameters are shown in Table 3.
Algorithm Result
Run the program, and the optimization process is shown in
Figure 4, resulting in the consequence that maximum value
of angular stiffness is 885.74kN·m/rad, and the corresponding
structural parameters are shown in Table 4. For comparison
with Table 3, Table 4 shows the quotient of true values of
parameters divided by L, and θ is 59.36°.
By comparing Table 3 and Table 4, it can be qualitatively
concluded that, only the values of L3 and L5 are the limit value
of their range among the eight parameters, that is to say, these
two parameters have the greatest influence on angular stiff-
ness, and the most important reason for the change of other
parameters is to satisfy the value of L3 and L5 as small as
possible. Therefore, the obtained regular patterns are that: (1)
reducing the distance between the bushing and the arc transi-
tion L5 can effectively increase the angular stiffness of the
TABLE 3 Adjustment interval of structural parameters.
Parameters R θ L0 L1
Interval [0.01L, 0.15L] [π/6, 3π/4] [0.1L, 0.5L] [0.3L, 0.9L]
Parameters L2 L3 L4 L5
Interval [0.4L, L] [0.1L, 0.7L] [0.01L, 0.4L] [0.01L, 0.3L]
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5
FIGURE 4 Optimization process of angular stiffness
function of anti-roll bar based on nonlinear programming and
genetic algorithm.
(18)
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TABLE 4 The quotient obtained by dividing the structural
parameter corresponding to the maximum stiffness by L.
Parameters R L0 L1 L2 L3 L4 L5
Quotient 0.0169 0.1103 0.85 0.87 0.10 0.065 0.01
© SAE International.
anti-roll bar; (2) reducing the width of the anti-roll bar L3 can
also effectively improve the angular stiffness.
In order to study the relationship between the structural
parameters and the stiffness function quantitatively, the
number of variables can be reduced from 8 to 4 by the
constraint relationship of the equation (18), namely remaining
R, θ, L0, L1. These four structural parameters are independent
of each other and can be studied quantitatively for their rela-
tionship to the stiffness function. Since the other four param-
eters L2, L3, L4, L5 are represented by the above parameters,
their range is no longer limited by the boundary conditions
of Table 3. Therefore, the stiffness value can be larger than the
stiffness value corresponding to Table 4. But for the purpose
of research, the regular pattern between structural parameters
and stiffness can be analyzed quantitatively in this way. When
analyzing the influence of one of the four structural param-
eters R, θ, L 0 and L1 on the stiffness, the control variable
method is used. The upper and lower limits of one studied
parameter of the above four are set to be the same as shown
in Table 3 respectively. The other three parameters are set to
the same values as Table 4, the results of the quantitative
analysis are shown in Figure 5.
It can be seen from Figure 5, the stiffness function of the
variable L0 is a monotonically increasing function, and the
influence on the stiffness is the largest among the four param-
eters. This conclusion is the same as the qualitative analysis
of the previous paragraph. The stiffness functions of variables
R and L 0 are monotonically decreasing functions, so the
smaller their values are, the larger the stiffness value is. This
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6 PARAMETER OPTIMIZATION OF ANTI-ROLL BAR BASED ON STIFFNESS

FIGURE 5 Quantitative analysis between structural FIGURE 7 The simulation results are obtained when the
parameters and stiffness function. load applied to the anti-roll bar is 1 kN.

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TABLE 5 The maximum deformation of the anti-roll bar for
the five loads.

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Loads 1kN 2kN 3kN 4kN 5kN
Maximum 2.3806 4.7611 7.1417 9.5223 11.903
deformation (mm)
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result is in agreement with the qualitative analysis of L3 in rotation about the X-axis. Stable load perpendicular to the bar
the previous paragraph. From the graph, the stiffness is applied to both ends of the anti-roll bar, which is 1-5kN and
function first decreases and then increases within the given the interval is 1kN, and the direction is among Z-axis. The
range, and the stiffness value is the largest when θ is the simulation results under five load conditions can be obtained.
minimum value. However, after three-dimensional modeling The applied load of 1kN is shown in Figure 7.
analysis, θ can not be reduced blindly, if this will lead to 3D According to the simulation purpose mentioned above,
modeling failure. the result of the solution in the finite element analysis is the
deformation at both ends of the anti-roll bar, which is the
maximum deformation. The maximum deformation of the
Simulation bars under the five loads are shown in Table 5.
According to equation (11), the angular stiffness values
under different loads are calculated respectively. The relation-
This simulation analysis needs to verify whether the stiffness
ship between the load and the maximum strain is shown in
of the anti-roll bar obtained by the simulation is consistent
Figure 8. The slope in Figure 8 has almost no change, that is,
with that calculated by the mechanical model.
the angular stiffness of the five load conditions is almost equal,
Based on the structural parameters shown in Table 4, a
and the average angular stiffness is 865.54kN·m/rad. The
three-dimensional model is drawn in CATIA, which is shown
relative error between the simulation result and the solution
in Figure 6. The model diagram does not show structural
result in the above algorithm results is 2.28%.
distortion, so the next simulation analysis can be carried out.
In order to verify the above problem, the modeling of an
anti-roll bar is done using beam finite elements based on the FIGURE 8 Load-strain relationship in five load conditions.
absolute nodal coordinate formulation (ANCF) in ANSYS.
The material properties are consistent with Table 1. The
constraint application mode of the anti-roll bar is as shown
in the assumptions (3). The specific implementation process
is to apply a rotation pair constraint at the bushing, limiting
the displacement in the Y and Z directions, and allowing

FIGURE 6 3D model drawn by the optimization result of

the algorithm.
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PARAMETER OPTIMIZATION OF ANTI-ROLL BAR BASED ON STIFFNESS 7

The relative error is analyzed. The stiffness of the math- FIGURE 10 Installation of anti-roll bars and displacement
ematical model is larger because it tends to be idealized, sensors on Baja Racing.
ignoring the length of the bushing. In the simulation analysis,
the bushing has a certain length inevitably due to the three-
dimensional modeling. The length of the bushing does not
change the torque, but it will change the bending moment.
Increasing the length of the bushing is equivalent to reducing
the L1. As can be seen from Figure 5, a decrease in L1 results
in a decrease in angular stiffness. Moreover, when performing
three-dimensional graphics in CATIA, the parameters can
only be retained to one decimal place, which also leads to
errors in the results obtained by the simulation. Since the
relative error is small, the correctness of the mechanical model

© SAE International.
for solving the angular stiffness can be verified.

Experiment
Referring to Table 4, the anti-roll bar for the experiment is
designed. And the angle θ between the lever arm and the main
body is set to 60°, and the bushing is placed as close as possible
to the ends of the main body of the anti-roll bar. In order to
achieve the purpose of changing the stiffness, four holes are
drilled in the bar arm. During installation, the vehicle axle is
connected to one of the holes through a variable length
threaded sleeve, so that the length of the arm of the bar can
be changed. Due to the constraints of the actual vehicle body
arrangement, it is impossible to machine the rounded corners
connecting the arm and the main body. And because the
connection method between them has little influence on the
angular stiffness, the detachable bolt connection is adopted,
so that the bar can be easily installed and disassembled. In
addition, the outermost hole of the arm of the anti-roll bar is
defined as the first hole, the innermost side is defined as the
fourth hole, and so on. The actual processed anti-roll bar is
shown in Figure 9.
The test vehicle selected for this experiment is a Baja
Racing, because the suspension of the Baja Racing is higher,
and there are no other parts to occlude, which is convenient
for the debugging of the anti-roll bar. The main body of the
bar is connected to the vehicle body, and the arm is connected
to the vehicle axle. The roll condition is measured by a line
displacement sensor mounted at both ends of the damper. The
displacement sensor measures the length between the body
and the axle in the direction of the damper. The installation
of the anti-roll bar and the displacement sensor is shown in
Figure 10.
Because the static force is applied to the bar end when the
mechanical model is established, the experiment uses the
steady-state steering characteristic experiment, that is,
controlling the steering wheel angle and the vehicle speed to
stay constant. Baja Racing uses continuously variable speed.
And if the throttle opening is constant, the speed is constant.
Therefore, in the experiment, the throttle pull is fixed by the
clip, and the speed can be controlled to be constant at 10, 20,
30 km/h respectively. Control the steering wheel angle to 90°
to the right to meet the steady-state steering conditions. The
vehicle axle is connected to the four connecting holes of the
anti-roll bar respectively to test the roll angle response of four
different stiffnesses.
When the speed is 30 km/h, the roll angle response is
larger, and the bar’s anti-rolling effect is more obvious.
Figure 11 shows that the Baja Racing has a large roll angle in
FIGURE 11 When the vehicle speed is 30km/h, the roll
angle response is shown for four kinds of angular stiffness after
noise reduction treatment.

FIGURE 9 Processed anti-roll bar.

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8 PARAMETER OPTIMIZATION OF ANTI-ROLL BAR BASED ON STIFFNESS
the range of 6-10° at a speed of 30 km/h. The roll angle fluctu-
ates sharply, mainly because the line displacement sensor is
close to the engine, and there are few noise reduction materials
between them, so the vibration of the sensor is severe. The
average roll angle response, when connected to the fourth
hole, is reduced by 1.95° compared to when connected to the
first hole.
The experimental results show that the relationship
between structure and stiffness of the anti-roll bar is consis-
tent with the obtained regular pattern. When the length of
the arm of the anti-roll bar is reduced, the angular stiffness
can be improved. In addition, the larger the angular stiffness,
the smaller the roll angle when the vehicle is cornering, and
more stable the cornering.
Conclusions
This paper studies the regular pattern between the stiffness
and structure of the anti-roll bar. Initially, the stiffness
mathematical model of the anti-roll bar is established by
the Deformation Energy theorem and Castigliano’s theorem.
Then, through the nonlinear programming and genetic
algorithm, the optimal solution stiffness mathematical
model is founded, and the maximum stiffness of the anti-
roll bar and its corresponding structural parameters are
obtained. Then, the qualitative and quantitative analysis of
the optimization results is carried out to obtain the regular
pattern between stiffness and structure. The correctness of
the mathematical model of stiffness is verified by simulation
analysis. Then through experiments, part of the regular
pattern is confirmed.
In general, this study can guide the design of the anti-roll
bar. By referring to the corresponding regular pattern
between stiffness and structure, the structural parameters
of the anti-roll bar can be changed, so as to increase the
angular stiffness.
The method for improving the stiffness of the anti-roll
bar obtained in this paper can effectively improve the stability
of the automobile across the curve. However, it should be noted
that the method of reducing the lean to improve handling can
have a negative impact on the ride because it penalizes the
vehicle over one-wheel bumps with a side-to-side pitching
mode. Therefore, the method cannot be applied to off-road
vehicles, but mainly used in vehicles that frequently pass
across curved roads.
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ISSN 0148-7191
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Contract Informatica
Dr. Gangfeng Tan
Research area: Vehicle Dynamics
Suizhou-WUT Industry Research Institute
38-108 Wendi Road, Suizhou, Hubei, P.R. China. 441300
auto1vum@sina.com
Acknowledgments
This research is supported by the 2019-QC-B1-13 of Wuhan
University of Technology Independent Innovation Fund.
Great acknowledgments are given to Wuhan University of
Technology, Wuhan 430070, China and Hubei Collaborative
Innovation Center for Automotive Components Technology,
Wuhan 430070, China.