Evaluation of Turnability of Tracked Vehicle (Part 3)

Comparison between Pivot Turn and Soft Turn Systems

Abstract

Pivot turn is one of the most common turning systems for tracked vehicle, in which one crawler is powered and the other is unpowered and braked while turning. Recently, a different type of turning system which is called “soft turn” has been devoloped from the viewpoint of giving less damage to the ground surface during turning motion. The velocity of the outer crawler in this system is three times faster than the inner crawler. In this paper, the soft turn system is compared to the conventional pivot turn system from the viewpoint of turning motion resistance, work done and power required while turning.