Design and development of active and semi-active engine mounts

Vibration isolation in the engine compartment is a challenging design problem for all transportation means particularly in the automotive industry to attain better ride quality, improved road handling, and longer engine/parts life. Given the emergence of new vehicles with more stringent performance characteristics, engine vibration isolation has become a more demanding issue. This thesis focuses on the modelling, development, and experimental analysis of two active and semi-active engine mounts designed specifically to address the isolation problem of Variable Displacement Engines (VDE). It has been shown, however, that the designed mounts are flexible enough to fulfil the isolation requirements of other engine types as well. Both proposed mounts are made by adding retrofitable parts to the conventionally available hydraulic engine mounts. The promising performance of the fabricated mounts, in addition to their minimal cost, fail safety, and low energy consumption, makes them appealing solutions for the auto industry.