An instrumented drive axle to measure tire tractive performance

An instrumented drive axle is introduced for a prototype tractor using in field research on tractor and implement performance. This mechanism was developed to determine whether such an instrumented drive axle is practical. The drive axle was equipped with a set of transducers to measure wheel angular velocity, rear axle torque and dynamic weight, as well as tire side forces. Measuring the drawbar pull acting on the tractor provides data for calculating net traction, motion resistance and chassis resistance for each driven wheel.     

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.     

Effect of inflation pressure on motion resistance ratio of a high-lug agricultural tyre

A single wheel tyre facility at University Putra Malaysia (UPM) was used to check the validity of Wismer–Luth and Brixius equations in predicting the motion resistance ratio of a high-lug agricultural tyre and to investigate the effect of inflation pressure. A Bridgestone 5-12, 4 ply, lug M was tested on sandy-clay-loam soil. The experiments were conducted by running the tyre in towing mode. Three inflation pressures (i.e., 166, 193 and 221 kPa) were investigated and wheel numerics ranging between 0 and 70. The analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) revealed that both inflation pressure and wheel numeric have significant effects on tyre motion resistance ratio. Regression analysis was also conducted to determine the closeness of fit for Wismer–Luth’s and Brixius’ equations in predicting the motion resistance ratio of the tested tyre. Finally, three new logarithmic models for tyre motion resistance were formulated. The advantage of reducing tyre inflation pressure from 221 (nominal pressure) to 193 kPa on the motion resistance ratio of the high-lug agricultural tyre was pronounced. However, the tyre’s motion resistance ratio deteriorated with further reduction in tyre inflation pressure from 221 (nominal pressure) to 166 kPa.     

Slip-based experimental studies of a vehicle interacting with natural snowy terrain

As longitudinal slip affects vehicle–pavement interactions on roads and hard surfaces, so too does it play an important role in interactions between vehicles and soft terrains, including snow. Although many slip-based models have been developed recently for tire–snow interactions (e.g., [1] and references cited therein), these models have only been partially validated, due to a lack of relevant experimental data. This paper presents comprehensive data from tests that were performed using a newly-developed test vehicle traversing natural snowy terrain, over a wide range of values for longitudinal slip, vertical load and torque via an effective accelerate/brake maneuver. Drawbar pull, motion resistance, wheel states and tire stiffness were presented as a function of slip; tire sinkage was obtained using a laser profilometer; strength and depth of snow were found using a snow micropenetrometer. The effects of the rear tire going over snow compacted by the front tire were also studied. The maximum traction force normalized by the vertical load is found to be ≈0.47, maximum motion resistance normalized by the vertical load is ≈0.4. Comparison of the trend and order-of-magnitude of test results with those from existing slip-based numerical model [1] shows good comparison in motion resistance, tire sinkage, and longitudinal stiffness, but indicates that a better traction model is needed to improve the comparison.     

Dynamic behaviour of an open lugged wheel under paddy soil conditions

Many experimental studies of open lugged wheel-soil interaction have been conducted, mainly based on the condition of constant slip and sinkage. As a result the reaction force to lugs seemed to be equal to the soil cutting resistance to a metal surface. However, analyses based on such methods do not appear to represent the actual behaviour of lugged wheel-soil interaction, especially when the lugs are spaced widely. The actual motion the wheel axle. In this study, an experimental device for a model lugged wheel was constructed to investigate the characteristics of the interaction between a lugged wheel and soil. Experiments were conducted under several test conditions of soil including paddy soil with a hard pan. The result of both theoretical and experimental data indicated that slip and sinkage of a lugged wheel showed a fluctuation with rotation angle of which the period is equal to the angular lug spacing. In each test soil condition used, the motion of the lugged wheel and the reaction forces acting on each lug from the soil for a free sinking wheel were different from that of the condition of constant slip and sinkage. It was found that the results obtained from this study could clarify the actual behaviour of lugged wheel-soil interaction.     

车-桥-线竖平面振动及其能量转化机制精细建模

建立了考虑车-桥(线)纵向振动及其能量相互转化机制的竖平面内精细耦合运动方程.将车-桥(线)视为一个整体系统,车辆各剐体的纵向运动均作为独立的自由度,考虑到车-桥(线)纵向振动及其能量相互转化机制,车辆驱动或制动作用采用轮轨间的纵向相互作用力和轮对作用力矩模拟,桥梁、线路结构采用梁单元离散,线路与桥梁之间的钢轨基础采用竖向和纵向的均布弹簧阻尼连接,建立了竖平面内精细耦合运动方程,它可合理模拟车桥(线)间能量相互转化的过程.简支梁桥算例表明:车辆在桥上无驱动或制动运行过程中,不考虑轨道结构时车速先增加后减小,而考虑轨道结构时车速只有减小的趋势,轮对还发生了高频的纵向振动,且车体和轮对的纵向振动对轨道竖向不平顺较为敏感;此外,考虑轮轨滚动碾压作用和能量转化机制时,钢轨加速度响应略偏大.本文研究可为实际车辆动态变速运行的模拟和更精细空间耦合模型的建立提供研究基础.     

Tyre load capacity and energy loss with respect to varying soil support stiffness

An analytical model is developed to predict the tyre deformation and the resultant energy loss due to tyre flexibility relative to various soil stiffnesses ranging from rigid unyielding support to soft soil. The analysis allows for examination of a pneumatic tyre with respect to the wheel load to be carried, the supporting ground rigidity and the rigidity of the tyre casing. The important tyre characteristics in providing for wheel load capability under motion are demonstrated to be the tyre carcass construction, dimension, inflation pressure and the ability of the tyre casing to recover some of the resultant energy losses incurred by the tyre under motion.     

Mobility algorithm evaluation using a consolidated database developed for wheeled vehicles operating on dry sands

A substantial number of laboratory and field tests have been conducted to assess performance of various wheel designs in loose soils. However, there is no consolidated database which includes data from several sources. In this study, a consolidated database was created on tests conducted with wheeled vehicles operating in loose dry sand to evaluate existing soil mobility algorithms. The database included wheels of different diameters, widths, heights, and inflation pressures, operating under varying loading conditions. Nine technical reports were identified containing 5253 records, based on existing archives of laboratory and field tests of wheels operating in loose soils. The database structure was assembled to include traction performance parameters such as drawbar pull, torque, traction, motion resistance, sinkage, and wheel slip. Once developed, the database was used to evaluate and support validation of closed form solutions for these variables in the Vehicle Terrain Interface (VTI) model. The correlation between predicted and measured traction performance parameters was evaluated. Comparison of the predicted versus measured performance parameters suggests that the closed form solutions within the VTI model are functional but can be further improved to provide more accurate predictions for off-road vehicle performance.     

Motion of a wheel on snow

A model of a snow layer represented by a continuous set of columns whose deformations are described by the nonlinear model of an ideal elastoplastic continuous medium with viscous properties is proposed. Under the action of a rigid wheel on snow, the field of shear stresses is specified by the law of dry friction. Prom the equations of motion describing the plane-parallel motion of the wheel, there are determined a zone of contact of the wheel with snow, the steady motions of the wheel, and a mode of slipping the wheel. The numerical results are given in tables and figures. These results are obtained by solving the nonlinear equations of motion containing definite integrals with variable integration limits.     

Rolling resistance and sinkage analysis by comparing FEM and experimental data for a grape transporting vehicle

In this study a 2D FEM model was developed to analyze ruts formation, rolling resistance, and power loss for a grape transporting cart aimed to replace the use of heavy tractors while harvesting grape. The model was supported by experiments in a vineyard in South Italy. Cone penetration tests were conducted to estimate frictional and cohesive properties in three soil conditions: firm, soft, and wet saturated. A tractor pulled test rig for a single wheel was developed to measure rolling resistance and sinkage, and complete the selection of the soil parameters. Completed the model, the analysis was conducted for a range of different wheel dimensions, and the outputs analyzed through response surfaces. The results showed the different impacts that width and diameter have on ruts formation and rolling resistance for different soil conditions. Wider wheels determined a main reduction of the sinkage, while the width contribution to the rolling resistance was affected by the total soil volume deformed. Larger diameters led to lower rolling resistance, with a higher impact on more deformable soils. Contact stress was compared with the thresholds recommended in the literature to determine the acceptable designs. This analysis represents a tool to select the running gear dimensions.     

Stream exiting studies of model amphibious vehicles

River existing studies were conducted using a 1:4 scale model of the XM453 eight-wheel cargo truck and a 1:6 scale model of the M59 full tracked personnel carrier on a slope with a non-deformable surface. The experiments were designed to measure the loading parameters on a river bank as a vehicle negotiated the bank in an attempt to exit a stream from a floating position. All significant parameters (i.e. resultant loading on the slope, buoyancy effects, track or wheel contact area, vehicle trim angle and towing effort) were found to be functions of the distance along the bank from the first point of contact and the angle of inclination of the bank. The data indicate that resistance to forward motion is developed rapidly and the vehicle effeciency can be defined by non-dimensional relationships among grade resistance, normal force on the bank, vehicle ground contact area and vehicle trim angle.     

A method for predicting the internal motion resistance of rubber-tracked undercarriages,Pt. 2. A research on the motion resistance of road wheels

In spite of an increasing number of rubber-tracked crawlers, the literature provides few guidelines and calculation models suitable for minimizing their internal motion resistance. This article presents a model where the internal resistance of double-flanged road wheels for rubber-tracked vehicles is calculated as a sum of the losses resulting from the indentation of the wheels into the track surface and friction of the wheels against the track guide lugs. The model allows for vertical and lateral load of the wheels, the non-uniform distribution of the wheel pressure on the track, and the relationship between the friction coefficient and normal reaction force in the interface between the wheel and track guide lugs. The model has been verified by experiments. According to the results of model computations and experiments discussed in the article, the internal losses of a given rubber-tracked undercarriage might be reduced if: the road wheels are covered with a material that exhibits low friction coefficient and mechanical hysteresis, the vehicle suspension system features oscillating bogie wheels, the undercarriage is fitted with the largest possible number of road wheels, and the vehicle weight is evenly distributed to all of the road wheels.     

A novel method for modeling skidding for systems with nonholonomic constraints

In this paper, the effect of wheel skidding on the steering motion of a simple vertical rolling disk is investigated. By modifying the nonholonomic constraints, two novel dynamic models are proposed. The first model rotates the constraints and enforces them along a plane correlated to the skid angle. It then relates the skidding in a wheel to the Lagrange multipliers associated with the kinematic constraints of that wheel. The second model relaxes the no-skidding constraint, allowing its transgression and relates the skidding to the generalized velocities of the actuated degrees of freedom of the system. To validate our model, we compare it to one in the literature and we analyze the motion of the disk on icy and snowy road conditions, where skidding can be significant.     

A novel rigid wheel for agricultural machinery applicable to paddy field with muddy soil

The working performance of agricultural machinery is largely determined by the walking performance of the wheel when driving in complex unstructured soil. However, the driving performance of existing wheels is not satisfactory for paddy field with muddy soil. The purpose of the current study is therefore to propose a novel rigid wheel for agricultural machinery which is applicable to paddy field with muddy soil. Firstly, a novel arc edge shaped wheel was designed based on the principles of mechanics on the ground. Then the driving performance of this arc edge shaped wheel was evaluated using FE modeling of interaction between rigid wheel and soil. Finally, the structure originally designed arc edge shaped wheel was improved according to FE modeling results, and this improved design was further evaluated by both FE simulation and prototype experiments. Both FE modeling and experimental results indicate that the improved arc edge shaped wheel proposed in this study has a good driving performance with regarding to wheel sinkage and soil reaction force. The proposed arc edge shaped wheel could be used as an effective component of rice harvester for paddy field with muddy soil.     

Development of a dynamic simulation model of a towed seeding implement

As the size of western Canadian farms increase and the productivity demands on seeding equipment rise, improvement in the depth consistency performance of seeding implements at higher seeding speeds is a future focus of equipment designers. The objective of this work was to develop a dynamic simulation tool for predicting the motion of a hoe-opener style seeding implement with independent row units. The model was developed using simple low-order models available in the literature to compute the forces generated at soil-tire and soil-tool interfaces. By maintaining low computational cost, early-stage parameter sensitivity and design trade-off studies can assess the risk of a given design change. The amplitude of the power spectral density (PSD) of simulated row unit motion was typically lower with sharper peaks than measured results up to 3.3 m/s; these differences were due to both input amplitude differences, and the sensitivity of the model itself. Frequency agreement of major measured and simulated PSD peaks was acceptable considering the model simplifications. Row unit motion was dominated by two phenomena – a strong periodic input in the terrain surface, and feedback between the hoe-opener and packer wheel of the row unit.     

Prediction of soil compaction under pneumatic tires a using fuzzy logic approach

Artificial intelligence systems are widely accepted as a technology offering an alternative way to tackle complex and ill-defined problems. They can learn from examples, are fault tolerant in the sense that they are able to handle noisy and incomplete data, are able to deal with non-linear problems, and once trained can perform prediction and generalization at high speed. Compared with traditional approaches, fuzzy logic is more efficient in linking the multiple inputs to a single output in a non-linear domain. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between tire working parameters and soil compaction characteristics, and to illustrate how Fuzzy expert system might play an important role in prediction of soil. All experimental values were collected from soil bin. The trials were conducted in different tire types, vertical loads, inflation pressures and forvard velocities. In this paper, a sophisticated intelligent model, based on Mamdani approach fuzzy modeling principles, was developed to predict the changes in penetration resistance, final pressure and bulk density of soil due to wheel traffic. The verification of the proposed model is achieved via various numerical error criteria. For all parameters, the relative error of predicted values was found to be less than the acceptable limits (10%).     

带有姿态的绳系航天器混沌运动实验研究

利用地面物理仿真平台研究了绳系航天器的混沌动力学行为. 首先, 根据天地动力学相似原理, 通过对卫星仿真器施加喷气力和动量轮力矩来模拟空间动力学环境, 提出了两种等效方案, 给出了它们各自适用的实验工况. 数值结果表明, 在轨绳系航天器在一定的参数条件下系绳摆动为周期或概周期运动、航天器姿态发生混沌运动. 物理仿真验证了等效方案的有效性, 揭示了绳系航天器的混沌运动特征, 表明在阻尼力矩的作用下可以避免绳系航天器混沌运动的发生.      

An evaluation of the concept of rolling resistance

Certain fundamental equations are part of every scientific discipline. These can form the starting point of relevant research. Later on, however, these equations themselves should be further developed. The fundamental equations in terrain-vehicle mechanics are those which deal with the peripheral force and rolling resistance. Both have formed the subject of numerous investigations, yet many open questions remain. An example is the interpretation of the properties of rolling resistance. According to the present study the mechanical conditions are identical for both towed and driving wheels. Rolling resistance is essentially a moment, but an active force is needed to move the wheel forward. This force acts in the travel direction at the axle of a towed wheel and at the perimeter of a driving wheel.     

Modeling and motion simulation of a three-wheeled mobile robot with front wheel driven and steered taking into account wheels�� slip

The problem of modeling of dynamics of a three-wheeled mobile robot with front wheel driven and steered is analyzed in this paper. Kinematical structure and kinematics of the robot are described. A universal methodology of analytical modeling of robot??s dynamics is applied. This methodology takes into account wheel-ground contact conditions and wheels?? slip. Its essence is the use of a contact model of deformable tire with rigid ground and division of the robot??s dynamics model into parts connected with wheels, including tire model, and with the mobile platform. The tire model used in this paper results from empirical dependencies determined during investigations of car tires. Ground geometry and type are specified in the environment model. Tire-ground interface is characterized by coefficients of friction and rolling resistance. The robot model takes into account the presence of friction in kinematical pairs. The model of servomotors is included as well. The important part of this work is simulation research performed using Matlab/Simulink package. Simulation research includes solving of the forward and inverse dynamics problems as well as the tracking control task. During simulations, the robot was moving on concrete and on a piece of ice. The simulation research enabled verification of the elaborated solutions.     

Wheels' performance of Mars exploration rovers: Experimental study from the perspective of terramechanics and structural mechanics

The soft ground and stones on the surface of Mars may cause sinkage of and damage to the wheels of a Mars rover. Therefore, we analyzed the performance of a wheel-step Mars rover from the perspective of terramechanics and structural mechanics. Using China’s Mars rover wheel prototype and wheel-soil interaction testbed, we obtained the driving performance of the wheels of a Mars rover under various conditions, including full skidding conditions. The vertical load set in the tests was determined using the gravity of Mars and the mass of the wheel-step Mars rover. The results indicate that the driving torque, sinkage, and resistance coefficient have a linear relationship with the wheel vertical load. An analysis of the structural mechanical characteristics of the wheel of the Mars rover was conducted by testing the radial, axial, torsional, and deflection stiffness. We found that the wheel ribs can improve the stiffness of the wheel but may reduce its driving performance. The analysis methods and evaluation indices can be used to analyze the performance of the wheels of other Mars rovers. Furthermore, the findings of this study can be used to optimize wheel design and motion control of wheel-step Mars exploration rovers.