Theoretical analysis of soil reaction on a lug of the movable lug cage wheel

The measurement of soil reaction forces on a lug of a movable lug cage wheel was carried out in a soil bin. To elucidate the experimental results, a theoretical analysis of soil reaction forces on the lug of the movable lug cage wheel was made by using an analysis of the lug trajectory and a modified theory in soil–vehicle mechanics. The existing theory was modified and adjusted by considering the actual lug trajectory and the soil trench made by the preceding lug. The results showed that the theoretical analysis gave a good representation of the reaction forces measured experimentally. The higher pull and lift forces of the movable lug cage wheel compared with those of the fixed lug wheel was supported by the theoretical analysis. Although the theoretical representation of soil reaction forces should be improved by further works, it is sufficiently accurate to estimate the performance of the movable lug cage wheels by the proposed theory.     

Experimental analysis of soil reaction on a lug of a movable lug wheel

A movable lug wheel was tested in a soil bin test apparatus to determine its traction performance and to measure the soil reaction forces on its lugs. Similar tests were also conducted using a fixed lug wheel. The effects of the lug motion pattern, lug spacing and horizontal load on pull and lift forces were studied. From the experiments it is confirmed that the movable action of the lug plate could generate superior pull and lift forces in comparison with the fixed lug wheel. Among the test wheels, lug motion pattern-2 generated the highest pull and lift forces. Within the range of the test conditions, there was no significant difference in pull and lift forces of the lug plate between the test lug wheels with 12 lugs and 15 lugs at the same level of horizontal and vertical loads. The increase of horizontal load up to 200 N generally increased the pull force and generated smaller rolling resistance before the lug left the soil, but did not increase the lift force significantly. The patterns of pull force, lift force and drawbar pull generated under a constant slip were slightly different from those under a constant horizontal load. Finally, the results were also elucidated by their actual lug trajectories in soil.     

Shape effects of wheel grousers on traction performance on sandy terrain

This paper presents the effects of different wheel grouser shapes on the traction performance of a grouser wheel traveling on sandy terrain. Grouser wheels are locomotion gears that allow small and lightweight exploration rovers to traverse on the loose sand on extraterrestrial surfaces. Although various grouser shapes have been analyzed by some research groups, a more synthetic and direct comparison of possible grousers is required for practical applications. In this study, we developed a single wheel testbed and experimentally investigated the effects of four grouser shapes (parallel, slanted, V-shaped, and offset V-shaped) on the traction performance of linear movement on flat sand. The wheel slip, sinkage, traction and side force acting on the wheel axle, the wheel driving torque, and the efficiency of each wheel were examined. Thereafter, the effects on the lateral slope traversability of a small and lightweight four-wheeled rover with different grouser shapes were also examined. The traversability experiment demonstrated the vehicle mobility performance in order to contribute to the design optimization of rover systems. These experimental results and their comparisons suggested that, of the shapes studies herein, the slanted shape was the optimal grouser design for use in wheeled rovers on lunar and planetary soil.     

Modelling the traction of a prototype track based on soil–rubber friction and adhesion

An experimental track layer tractor, based on an Allis Chalmers 8070 tractor (141 kW) was tested on bitumen covered concrete and on cultivated sandy loam at 7.8%; 13% and 21% soil water content. The two articulated beam-type tracks (500 mm wide × 2000 mm soil contact length) were constructed out of 500 mm long and 70 mm wide rubber covered steel track elements, carried by five steel cables (36 mm diameter). The tracks resisted inward deflection but allowed outward articulation between two smooth rear driving and two smooth front pneumatic truck tires (1060 mm diameter) per track. The contact pressure and the tangential force on an instrumented track element, as well as the total torque input to one track, were simultaneously recorded during the drawbar pull/slip tests.

Different possible pressure distribution profiles under the tracks were considered and compared to the recorded data. Two possible traction models are proposed, one constant pressure model for minimal inward track deflection, and a deformable track model with inward deflection and a higher contact pressure at both the front free-wheeling and rear driving tires. For both models, the traction force was generated mainly by rubber/soil friction and adhesion and limited soil shear. A close agreement between the measured and predicted contact pressures and traction force for individual track elements, based on the deformable track model, was observed. The recorded and calculated coefficient of traction based on the summation of the force for the series of track elements were comparable, but were considerably lower than the predicted values, probably due to internal track friction rather than soil sinkage. The tractive efficiency for both a hard or soft surface was also unacceptably low, probably caused by internal track friction.     

Structure design and traction trafficability analysis of multi-posture wheel-legs bionic walking wheels for sand terrain

Nowadays, the existing walking wheels still have problems with the wheel-legs structure and the traction trafficability on the loose sand. It is commonly believed that African ostrich (Struthio camelus) is a kind of bipedal species with superior running performance on the sandy environment. Being enlightened by this, four bionic walking wheels (herringbone wheel, in-line wheel, V-shaped wheel and combination wheel) were designed and tested by imitating the structure and posture of ostrich’s feet travelling on sand. The results showed that when the wheel load was 20, 30 and 50N respectively and the slip ratio was less than 35%, the herringbone wheel had better traction trafficability than that of other wheels. When the wheel load was 30, 50 and 70N and the slip ratio was more than 35%, the in-line wheel had better performance than that of other wheels. It was shown in this thesis that the bionic walking wheels designed with the multi-posture wheel-legs and the simple structure could reduce the soil resistance and the disturbance to sand, thereby achieving a superior performance of traveling on sand. In addition, a new idea and research method for designing of walking mechanism on soft terrain has been provided in this thesis.     

Effects of tire inflation pressure and tractor velocity on dynamic wheel load and rear axle vibrations

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of agricultural tire characteristics on variations of wheel load and vibrations transmitted from the ground to the tractor rear axle. The experiments were conducted on an asphalt road and a sandy loam field using a two-wheel-drive self-propelled farm tractor at different combinations of tractor forward speeds of approximately 0.6, 1.6 and 2.6 m/s, and tire inflation pressures of 330 and 80 kPa. During experiments, the vertical wheel load of the left and right rear wheels, and the roll, bounce and pitch accelerations of the rear axle center were measured using strain-gage-based transducers and a triaxial accelerometer. The wavelet and Fourier analyses were applied to measured data in order to investigate the effects of self-excitations due to non-uniformity and lugs of tires on the wheel-load fluctuation and rear axle vibrations. Values for the root-mean-square (RMS) wheel loads and accelerations were not strictly proportional and inversely proportional to the forward speed and tire pressure respectively. The time histories and frequency compositions of synthesized data have shown that tire non-uniformity and tire lugs significantly excited the wheel load and accelerations at their natural frequencies and harmonics. These effects were strongly affected by the forward speed, tire pressure and ground deformation.     

Comparison of different zero-slip definitions and a proposal to standardize tire traction performance

The traction properties of agricultural tires are of special importance because the tractive efficiency varies in a wide range to a maximum in the order of 75%. Different single wheel testing equipment is used to investigate tire performance and different mathematical methods are used to process the measured data. The different zero-slip definitions complicate a comparison between the measured data. In the paper the consequences of these differences are shown. For traction prediction it is necessary to make different measured and calculated data comparable so that all these data can be used for modelling tire behaviour. Therefore in this paper an effort to standardize tire traction performance is made.     

Analysis of soil flow and traction mechanics for lunar rovers over different types of soils using particle image velocimetry

Grouser wheels have been used in planetary rovers to improve mobility performance on sandy terrains. The biggest difference between a wheel with and without grousers is the soil behavior beneath the wheel as the grousers shovel the soil. By analyzing the soil flow, we gain insight into the mechanics dominating the interaction between the wheel and the soil, directly impacting performance. As the soil flow varies depending on the soil properties, the effects of soil type on soil behavior and wheel-traveling performance should be studied. This paper reveals the difference in soil flow and wheel performance on cohesive and non-cohesive soils. We conducted a series of single wheel tests over different types of soils under several wheel-traveling conditions. Soil flow was visualized by using particle image velocimetry (PIV). The experimental results indicate that soil flow characteristics highly depend on the shear strength of the soil. The cohesive soil exhibited lower fluidity due to its higher shear strength. At the same time, the wheel displayed a higher traveling performance over the cohesive soil, that is, a lower slip ratio.     

Improved sinkage algorithms for powered and unpowered wheeled vehicles operating on sand

Modeling and simulation of vehicles in sand is critical for characterizing off-road mobility in arid and coastal regions. This paper presents improved algorithms for calculating sinkage (z) of wheeled vehicles operating on loose dry sand. The algorithms are developed based on 2737 tests conducted on sand with 23 different wheel configurations. The test results were collected from Database Records for Off-road Vehicle Environments (DROVE), a recently developed database of tests conducted with wheeled vehicles operating in loose dry sand. The study considers tire diameters from 36 to 124 cm with wheel loads of 0.19–36.12 kN. The proposed algorithms present a simple form of sinkage relationships, which only require the ratio of the wheel ground contact pressure and soil strength represented by cone index. The proposed models are compared against existing closed form solutions defined in the Vehicle Terrain Interface (VTI) model. Comparisons suggest that incorporating the proposed models into the VTI model can provide comparable predictive accuracy with simpler algorithms. In addition to simplicity, it is believed that the relationship between cone index (representing soil shear strength) and the contact pressure (representing the applied pressure to tire-soil interface) can better capture the physics of the problem being evaluated.     

Improvement of traction performance and off-road mobility for a vehicle with four individual electric motors: Driving over icy road

To control speed and wheel slip for severe conditions of tire-surface interaction is a challenging task in the design of traction control system for electric vehicles with off-road capability. In this regard, the present paper focuses on a specific traction control for an electric vehicle with four individual in-wheel motors over icy road. The study demonstrates that a proper integration of the speed controller and wheel slip controller can essentially improve the mobility of the vehicle in the cases of acceleration and slope climbing. The paper discusses relevant case studies with particular attention given to the system architecture (sliding mode and PID control methods), extremum-seeking algorithm for maximum tire-road friction and corresponding slip value, and experimental validation of the tire model used in the controller with the help of the Terramechanics Rig in the Advanced Vehicle Dynamics Laboratory (AVDL) at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.     

Design and development of a new transformable wheel used in amphibious all-terrain vehicles (A-ATV)

Conventional ground-wheeled vehicles usually have poor trafficability, low efficiency, a large amount of energy consumption and possible failure when driving on soft terrain. To solve this problem, this paper presents a new design of transformable wheels for use in an amphibious all-terrain vehicle. The wheel has two extreme working statuses: unfolded walking-wheel and folded rigid wheel. Furthermore, the kinematic characteristics of the transformable wheel were studied using a kinematic method. When the wheel is unfolded at walking-wheel status, the displacement, velocity and acceleration of the wheel with different slip rates were analyzed. The stress condition is studied by using a classic soil mechanics method when the transformable wheel is driven on soft terrain. The relationship among wheel traction, wheel parameters and soil deformation under the stress were obtained. The results show that both the wheel traction and trafficability can be improved by using the proposed transformable wheel. Finally, a finite element model is established based on the vehicle terramechanics, and the interaction result between the transformable wheel and elastic–plastic soil is simulated when the transformable wheel is driven at different unfold angles. The simulation results are consistent with the theoretical analysis, which verifies the applicability and effectiveness of the transformable wheel developed in this paper.     

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.     

Off-road tyre modelling II: effect of camber on tyre performance

The problem of off-road vehicle tyre-terrain interaction is that it is difficult to model accurately. For an off-road vehicle over medium to firm terrain, the tyre load may be entirely supported by the tips of the lugs, or with a minimum carcass contact with the terrain. In this case, the effect of the lugs should be taken into consideration. The forces at the interface between lugged tyre and the soil, including normal and shear stresses, are discussed in this paper. The multi-spoke tyre model was developed to study the effect of tyre lugs on the forces between tyre and terrain and it has been extended to predict the tyre forces and moments in the case of combined lateral and longitudinal slip for a cambered tyre. The influence of slip angle, camber angle and soil hardness on off-road tyre performance has been investigated. A computer program was developed using MATLAB software. The results were derived as tyre forces and moments in the three directions along the tyre contact length. A comparison between the results of the multi-spoke tyre model of a smooth off-road tyre and an off-road tyre with straight lugs, in the cambered case, has been made. The results indicated that slip angle, camber angle and soil characteristics have a strong effect on off-road tyre performance. The modified mathematical model results help the off-road tyre engineering designers to predict accurate values of tyre forces and moments in this complex case.     

Design and development of a variable ground clearance,variable wheel track self-leveling hillside vehicle power chassis (V2-HVPC)

This paper presents a design of hillside vehicle power chassis with the balance rocker suspension mechanism. The objective of design is to achieve a variable ground clearance, variable wheel track and self-leveling chassis adapted to the various types of crop grown ridge section and height. The V2-HVPC design consists of the main body, the balance rocker suspension, two driving axles and the steering system. Those assemblies form an H-type chassis structure where both sides of the driving axle and the main body are connected to power transmission. The ground clearance and wheel track have the adjustable function. The balance rocker suspension is a novel mechanism which ensures full-time four-wheel drive in a complex road environment while maintaining the main body level always in the angle bisector of the two driving axle. According to the hillside terrain and agronomic characteristics of various crops, the ground clearance and the wheel track can be adjusted continuously and smoothly by hydraulic system. The topology diagram and power transmission system diagram are all given correspondingly. Moreover simulation analysis and basic experiments have been carried out to verify the mobility and dynamic performance of the V2-HVPC. The results show that the concept of V2-HVPC is approved reasonable and the design and testing methods are feasible and practical.     

On the impact of cargo weight, vehicle parameters, and terrain characteristics on the prediction of traction for off-road vehicles

A realistic prediction of the traction capacity of vehicles operating in off-road conditions must account for stochastic variations in the system itself, as well as in the operational environment. Moreover, for mobility studies of wheeled vehicles on deformable soil, the selection of the tire model used in the simulation influences the degree of confidence in the output. Since the same vehicle may carry various loads at different times, it is also of interest to analyze the impact of cargo weight on the vehicle’s traction.This study focuses on the development of an algorithm to calculate the tractive capacity of an off-road vehicle with stochastic vehicle parameters (such as suspension stiffness, suspension damping coefficient, tire stiffness, and tire inflation pressure), operating on soft soil with an uncertain level of moisture, and on a terrain topology that induces rapidly changing external excitations on the vehicle. The analysis of the vehicle–soil dynamics is performed for light cargo and heavy cargo scenarios. The algorithm relies on the comparison of the ground pressure and the calculated critical pressure to decide if the tire can be approximated as a rigid wheel or if it should be modeled as a flexible wheel. It also involves using previously-developed vehicle and stochastic terrain models, and computing the vehicle sinkage, resistance force, tractive force, drawbar pull, and tractive torque.The vehicle model used as a case study has seven degrees of freedom. Each of the four suspension systems is comprised of a nonlinear spring and a viscous (linear or magneto-rheological) damper. An off-road terrain profile is simulated as a 2-D random process using a polynomial chaos approach [Sandu C, Sandu A, Li L. Stochastic modeling of terrain profiles and soil parameters. SAE 2005 transactions. J Commer Vehicles 2005-01-3559]. The soil modeling is concerned with the efficient treatment of the impact of the moisture content on relationships critical in defining the mobility of an off-road vehicle (such as the pressure–sinkage [Sandu C et al., 2005-01-3559] and the shear stress–shear displacement relations). The uncertainties in vehicle parameters and in the terrain profile are propagated through the vehicle model, and the uncertainty in the output of the vehicle model is analyzed [Sandu A, Sandu C, Ahmadian M. Modeling multibody dynamic systems with uncertainties. Part I: theoretical and computational aspects, Multibody system dynamics. Publisher: Springer Netherlands; June 29, 2006. p. 1–23 (23), ISSN: 1384-5640 (Paper) 1573-272X (Online). doi:10.1007/s11044-006-9007-5; Sandu C, Sandu A, Ahmadian M. Modeling multibody dynamic systems with uncertainties. Part II: numerical applications. Multibody system dynamics, vol. 15, No. 3. Publisher: Springer Netherlands; 2006. p. 241–62 (22). ISSN: 1384-5640 (Paper) 1573-272X (Online). doi:10.1007/s11044-006-9008-4]. Such simulations can provide the basis for the study of ride performance, handling, and mobility of the vehicle in rough off-road conditions.     

Au纳米颗粒织构化表面的黏着和摩擦学行为研究

利用自组装技术在单晶硅(100)面制备了Au纳米颗粒织构化表面(nanoparticle-textured surfaces,NPTS),采用原子力显微镜(AFM)和UMT-2MT摩擦磨损试验机考察了Au纳米颗粒织构化对表面微/纳尺度黏着与摩擦性能的影响机理.结果表明:在颗粒堆积密度较低的表面,接触力学符合连续接触力学模式;在颗粒堆积密度较高的表面,形成多峰接触,有效地减少了接触面积,降低了黏着和摩擦.与光滑硅表面相比,组装时间为3.0 h的Au纳米颗粒织构化表面的黏着力降低了77%,在试验载荷为7 nN时,其摩擦力降低了42%.     

聚氨酯(PU)在力学性能测试中的摩擦效应与变形均匀性研究

作为防弹玻璃夹层材料,PU的动态力学性能一直受到学者们的关注。为准确表征其动态力学性能,本文采用ABAQUS有限元软件对不同摩擦系数下的单轴压缩试验进行数值仿真,分析试样加载端面的摩擦效应和几何尺寸对单轴压缩试验结果的影响;结合高速摄影技术(HSP)与数字图像相关技术(DIC)观测到试样在拉伸试验中的动态变形场和应变场,探讨标距段的应力均衡性;同时对PU材料在不同应变率下的单轴压缩、拉伸力学性能进行测试。结果表明:压缩试样的端面摩擦效应限制横向变形,影响了试样内部的受力分布,使得测量得到的应力值偏大;试样长径比越小,端面摩擦效应的影响越大;在单轴动态拉伸试验中,板状拉伸试样的标距段选取应当考虑两端倒角尺寸。通过测试PU的拉、压力学性能,发现材料具有显著的应变率敏感性。     

Analysis of Mars Exploration Rover wheel mobility processes and the limitations of classical terramechanics models using discrete element method simulations

A previous three-dimensional discrete element method (DEM) model of Mars Exploration Rovers (MERs) wheel mobility demonstrated agreement with test data for wheel drawbar pull and sinkage for wheel slips from 0.0 to 0.7. Here, results from the previous model are compared with wheel mobility data for non-MER wheels that cover the range of wheel slip from 0.0 to 1.0. Wheel slips near 1.0 are of interest for assessing rover mobility hazards. DEM MER wheel model predictions show close agreement with weight-normalized wheel drawbar pull data from 0.0 to 0.99 wheel slip and show a similar trend for wheel sinkage. The nonlinear increase in MER wheel drawbar pull and sinkage for wheel slips greater that 0.7 is caused by development of a tailings pile behind the wheel as it digs into the regolith.Classical terramechanics wheel mobility equations used in the ARTEMIS MER mobility model are inaccurate above wheel slips of 0.6 as they do not account for the regolith tailings pile behind the wheel. To improve ARTEMIS accuracy at wheel slips greater that 0.6 a lookup table of drawbar pull, wheel torque, and sinkage derived from DEM mobility simulations can be substituted for terramechanics equation calculations.     

聚甲基丙烯酸甲酯/纳米有机改性蒙脱土复合材料的制备及其摩擦磨损性能研究

采用乳液插层法制备聚甲基丙烯酸甲酯/纳米有机改性蒙脱土复合材料,采用X射线衍射仪表征复合材料结构,考察有机改性蒙脱土(OMMT)含量对复合材料摩擦磨损性能的影响,并通过扫描电子显微镜观察分析复合材料磨损表面形貌.结果表明:所制备的纳米片状分散型复合材料的磨损率随OMMT含量增加先减小而后增加;摩擦系数随OMMT含量的变化趋势则相反,当OMMT含量为5%时,复合材料的磨损率最小,为PMMA的25%;当OMMT含量为6%时,摩擦系数最大,比PMMA增加8%.复合材料的磨损机制为粘着磨损和磨粒磨损,随着OMMT含量不同,2种机理的表现程度有所变化.     

钢球检测用展开轮表面微结构增摩降磨特性分析

针对钢球缺陷检测过程中,镜面钢球打滑引起的滑动摩擦导致展开轮磨损这一问题,以实现展开轮增摩降磨为目标,提出将微结构应用于钢球展开轮表面的方法.首先,应用激光微造型技术在T10A试件表面加工不同特征参数凹坑微结构,采用单因素法在MMW-1立式万能磨擦试验机上进行点接触干滑动摩擦试验;在综合考虑局部激光硬化和几何参数对磨损性能影响的基础上,结合试验数据建立基于Archard理论的微结构磨损模型;最后通过仿真技术及磨损试验验证磨损模型的正确性,进而对微结构特征参数进行优选.结果表明:在点接触干滑动摩擦工况下,提出的三种微结构表面均可以实现增摩降磨;建立的磨损模型能准确地计算磨损系数用以分析实际工况的磨损特性;优选了凹坑面积在S_2~S_4范围内的菱形微结构.提出的方法为钢球表面缺陷检测设备提供了技术支持,所建的磨损模型为干摩擦状态下凹坑微结构表面磨损程度的预测提供了理论参考.