Modelling and testing snow ploughing forces on trucks
by A. Kempainen, D. Milacic, M.D. Osborne, W.W. Olson
International Journal of Vehicle Design (IJVD), Vol. 19, No. 4, 1998

Abstract: The forces involved in ploughing snow have been investigated to a limited degree with some basic analytical approximations formulated in the past 60 years. This paper explores the validity of these previous models using a known plough blade geometry and revised snow flow model. The approximations derived by Croce, Mellor and Kaku are presented as well as the common snow flow model currently in publication. Plastic wave speeds in snow are calculated in the lateral and longitudinal directions. The flow of snow in front of and across the mouldboard of a plough blade is expanded from the current model to include compressive, shear and turbulent zones in front of the blade. The force diagram for a plough truck equipped with a wing blade is developed. Experimental testing was conducted on a plough truck equipped with a wing blade, with the forces on the blade recorded during testing. The forces on the blade were compared to Mellor's and Kaku's models with the conclusion that current models are not valid for low speed ploughing. The previous models vary the force in proportion to the square of the velocity and the testing results show a linear relationship between the forces and speed. This linear-relationship shows that snow acts as a solid rather than a fluid during low speed ploughing. It is also shown that previous models do not correctly account for blade geometry such as the wing blade geometry in the experimental tests.

Online publication date: Thu, 29-May-2014

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