Title: Military tracked vehicle model. Part I: multibody dynamics formulation

Authors: Corina Sandu, Jeffrey S. Freeman

Addresses: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Advanced Vehicle Dynamics Laboratory, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 101 Randolph Hall, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA. ' Department of Mechanical, Aerospace and Biomedical Engineering, The University of Tennessee, 414 Dougherty Eng. Bldg., Knoxville, TN 37996, USA

Abstract: Tracked-vehicles have broad areas of application in agriculture, in the construction industry, in the military, and in mobile robotics and space exploration. This study develops a general model of a tracked vehicle using a trailing-arm suspension system, and an independent flexible-band track model. This suspension system is typical for high-speed military tracked vehicles. The suspension systems and the road wheels are modelled in a modular fashion, and can be modified to account for any number of road wheels.

Keywords: military vehicles; flexible-band track model; terramechanics; multibody dynamics; tracked vehicle modelling; trailing-arm suspension; high-speed tracked vehicles; road wheels; vehicle suspensions; performance analysis; mobility analysis.

DOI: 10.1504/IJVSMT.2005.008572

International Journal of Vehicle Systems Modelling and Testing, 2005 Vol.1 No.1/2/3, pp.48 - 67

Published online: 04 Jan 2006 *

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