Title: Connectivity algorithm for an extended rubber-band track model

Authors: Corina Sandu, Jeffrey S. Freeman

Addresses: Michigan Technological University, 1400 Townsend Dr., 934 Smith Bldg., Houghton, MI 49931-1295, USA. Department of Mechanical, Aerospace and Biomedical Engineering, The University of Tennessee, 414 Dougherty Engineering Bldg., Knoxville, TN 37996-2210, USA

Abstract: This study presents the formulation and implementation of the connectivity algorithm developed by the authors for the extended rubber-band track model. The vehicle model consists of a chassis, idlers, sprockets, support rollers, road arms, road wheels, and rotational spring-dampers-actuators. The extended rubber-band track model is a dynamic, spatial model; it takes into account the moment of inertia of the road wheel; it accounts for the friction at the road wheel-track interface; it models the suspension of each road arm by using rotational spring-damper-actuators; it models the track-terrain contact; a new method of computing the track tension is implemented. Several tests are performed for the tracked vehicle model in conjunction with the extended rubber-band track model that show the performance of the connectivity algorithm presented in this study.

Keywords: connectivity algorithm; track model; tracked vehicle model.

DOI: 10.1504/IJHVS.2002.001183

International Journal of Heavy Vehicle Systems, 2002 Vol.9 No.4, pp.333-353

Published online: 01 Jul 2003 *

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