Study on Soil-lugged Wheel Interaction (Part 1)

Dynamic Behaviour of a Lugged Wheel

Abstract

Lugged wheels have been widely used in Southeast Asia for traction in paddy fields. In the past, many experiments in laboratory with soil bins were done to analyze soil-lugged wheel interaction mainly based on constant slip and sinkage condition. To investigate the main factors involved, an experimental device for a model lugged wheel was constructed which enabled to measure variables under actual conditions. Experiments were conducted to study slip, sinkage and reaction forces acting on a lug surface under conditions of 2 levels of vertical axial load and 3 levels of drawbar load. According to the experimental results, it was found that slip and sinkage of lugged wheel varied periodically with angle of rotation which is equal to the angle of adjacent lug. It resulted in the change of locus of a lug in soil and axle of a lugged wheel. The reaction forces from the soil to a lug was assumed to change with rotation angle of the lugged wheel at the different sinkages and slips.