TRACKED VEHICLE – SOFT SOIL INTERACTIONS AND DESIGN SENSITIVITIES FOR PATH CLEARING SYSTEMS UTILIZING MULTI-BODY DYNAMICS SIMULATION METHODS

Two notional path-clearing tracked-vehicle models are part of this exploration in assessing the capabilities and limitations of the state-of-the-art in tracked vehicle dynamics modeling and simulation over soft-soil terrain. Each vehicle utilized different path-clearing methods that presented challenges in modeling their interactions with the soil: one vehicle used a roller and rake combination. The roller pressured the soft soil while the rake sheared it. The other vehicle used a quickly rotating flail system that cleared a definitive path by impacting and flinging the soil away. One vehicle had a band track and the other had a segmented track introducing additional modeling challenges. Each of these design choices was independently varied and analyzed. Path clearing performances and design sensitivities to track properties were studied in addition to the effect of contact forces between track, road wheels, idler, and sprocket. Vehicle performance on differing soil types is also compared by means of load and acceleration time histories derived from complex multi-body dynamics simulations. Unique modeling methods to stretch the capability of the current state-of-the-art were paramount in enabling this study, and are discussed in detail.