Propulsion of Model Track

Analysis of Tractive Performance of Track-laying Tractors

Abstract

propulsion of a model track was calculated theoretically, depending on a shear pattern, a soil shear stress diagram and a contact pressure distribution along the track which ran at a certain slippage on a sandy loam in a soil bin. Findings from this study are as follows:
1) Shear stress τ was represented as a function of pressure p and displacement d, ie.
τ_d=c_d+p·tanφ_d
And c_d and φ_d were also functions of displacement d and were obtained by author's proposed equation.
2) Contact pressure revealed a peak under supporting wheels of track and increased at rear area with increasing of slippage.
3) Propulsion distribution of a single cleat was influenced by the pressure distribution.
4) Propulsion variation of the track was pariodic.
5) Displacement modulus Kτ (or Kτ_c and Kτ_φ) should be multiplyed a data by a certain rate when it was applied to calculate the propulsion, comparing a measured pull-slippage curve and a calculated propulsion-slippage curve.
6) Propulsion of spaced track was more than that of no space track by the effect of increasing of contact pressure.