The effect of velocity on rigid wheel performance

A simulation model to predict the effect of velocity on rigid-wheel performance for off-road terrain was examined. The soil–wheel simulation model is based on determining the forces acting on a wheel in steady state conditions. The stress distribution at the interface was analyzed from the instantaneous equilibrium between wheel and soil elements. The soil was presented by its reaction to penetration and shear. The simulation model describes the effect of wheel velocity on the soil–wheel interaction performances such as: wheel sinkage, wheel slip, net tractive ratio, gross traction ratio, tractive efficiency and motion resistance ratio. Simulation results from several soil-wheel configurations corroborate that the effect of velocity should be considered. It was found that wheel performance such as net tractive ratio and tractive efficiency, increases with increasing velocity. Both, relative wheel sinkage and relative free rolling wheel force ratio, decrease as velocity increases. The suggested model improves the performance prediction of off-road operating vehicles and can be used for applications such as controlling and improving off-road vehicle performance.     

Effects of a roller and a tracked vehicle on the compaction of a high lifted decomposed granite sandy soil

The aim of this research was to innovate a new compaction machinery by comparing experimentally the effects of a two-axle, two wheel road roller and a tracked vehicle on the compaction of a decomposed granite sandy soil with a high spreading lift. By measuring the amount of sinkage of the terrain surface, the dry density distribution versus depth using a cone penetrometer, the normal earth pressure distribution versus depth using a stress state transducer (SST), the effects of the road roller and the tracked vehicle on the increment of the soil dry density were considered theoretically. It was observed that the tracked vehicle showed a larger amount of sinkage and a larger dry density distribution versus depth than the roller. The ratio of shear stress to normal stress was still large enough at the deep stratum, so that an optimal shear strain was developed on the whole range of the high lifted stratum and it increased the soil compaction density due to the dilatancy effect.     

Automatic control system of a rear-wheel drive vehicle moving on a sloped weak sandy terrain

The general mechanism of tractive performance of a four-wheel vehicle with rear-wheel drive moving up and down a sloped sandy soil has been considered theoretically. For the given vehicle dimensions and terrain-wheel system constants, the relationships among the effective tractive or braking effort of the vehicle, the amount of sinkage of the front and rear wheels, and the slip ratio were analysed by simulation. The optimum eccentricity of the vehicle’s center of gravity and the optimum application height of the drawbar-pull for obtaining the largest value of maximum effective tractive or braking effort could be calculated by means of the analytical simulation program. For a 5.88 kN weight vehicle, it was found that the optimum eccentricity of the center of gravity e_opt was 1/6 for the range of slope angle—0βπ/24 rad during driving action of the rear wheel and e_opt was also 1/6 for the range of slope angle—π/24β0 rad during braking action of the rear wheel. The optimum application height H_opt was found to be 35 cm for the range of slope angle 0βπ/24 rad during driving action of the rear wheel and H_opt was 0 cm for the range of slope angle—π/24β0 rad during braking action of the rear wheel.