The Development and Validation of a Computer Aided Method for Design Evaluation of Tracked Vehicles with Rigid Links

In the past decade, a computer aided method for design evaluation of high-speed tracked vehicles with flexible tracks (or tracks with relatively short track pitch commonly in use in tracked transport vehicles and military vehicles) has been developed. It has been successfully used in assisting vehicle manufacturers in the development of new products and governmental agencies in the selection of vehicle candidates. For low-speed tracked vehicles commonly in use in agriculture, construction and logging, rigid tracks with relatively long track pitch are employed to achieve a more uniform ground pressure distribution. To assist manufacturers of this type of vehicle to expedite the development of new products in a cost effective manner, a computer aided method for design evaluation of tracked vehicles with rigid links has recently been developed. It treats the track as a system of interconnected rigid links and takes into account the characteristics of the interaction between track links and deformable terrain. The basic features of the method have been verified by field test data. The method can be an extremely useful tool for the engineer to optimize vehicle design and for the procurement manager to select appropriate vehicle candidates to meet specific operating requirements.