Multi-Contact-Point Tire Model Applied to the Study of the Longitudinal and Vertical Dynamics of a 6x6 Military Vehicle

The present study aims to utilize a tire mathematical model that incorporates multiple contact points between the tire and the ground to provide a more accurate and realistic representation of the vertical and longitudinal dynamics of the Guarani 6x6 Armored Personnel Carrier (APC), a medium-wheeled vehicle used by the Brazilian Army. First, the subsystems involved in the longitudinal dynamics of the Guarani APC are introduced and modeled using TMeasy, a physical-mathematical model for tire slip behavior. Subsequently, the subsystems associated with the vehicle’s vertical dynamics are presented and modeled based on Ageikin’s concepts of obstacle negotiation. Finally, the longitudinal and vertical models are integrated to develop a multi-contact-point model with enhanced completeness, considering their mutual influence on each other. The modeling process is conducted within the Simulink® environment of MATLAB®. In each stage, simulations validate the proposed model’s suitability in representing the vehicle’s behavior under various operating conditions.