Theses and Dissertations

ORCID

https://orcid.org/0009-0001-5519-4071

Advisor

Smith, Aaron

Committee Member

Bryant, Duncan

Committee Member

Bhushan, Shanti

Date of Degree

5-15-2026

Original embargo terms

Immediate Worldwide Access

Document Type

Graduate Thesis - Open Access

Major

Mechanical Engineering

Degree Name

Master of Science (M.S.)

College

James Worth Bagley College of Engineering

Department

Michael W. Hall School of Mechanical Engineering

Abstract

Amphibious vehicles in the surf zone face severe hydrodynamic forcing, yet their internal suspension dynamics remain under-characterized. This research quantifies the non-linear dynamic response of an asymmetric double-wishbone suspension under regular wave impact. Using a physical model in a wave flume and a Qualisys motion-capture system, global rigid-body roll angles were processed through a decoupled kinematic numerical framework to isolate time-domain strut displacements. To evaluate stability, the data was transformed into the frequency domain to calculate Total Harmonic Distortion (THD). Results indicate that all test configurations exhibited significant non-linearity, primarily driven by mechanical clipping as struts reached their physical travel limits. A low-mass vehicle paired with softer springs offered the most stable response by maximizing available stroke before hitting these hard mechanical boundaries. The kinematic numerical framework provides a baseline for future work into active suspension control and coupled hydrodynamic-suspension modeling.

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