Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to establish a trafficability control system for a flexible tracked tractor traveling up and down a weak slope using an initial track belt tension sensor. The distribution of track belt tension and contact pressure depends on the initial track belt tension. In this paper, some analytical results are presented for a 50 kN weight tractor towing up (or down) other construction machinery on a decomposed weathered granite slope. The driving (or braking) efficiency of power decreases (or increases) remarkably with decrease in the initial track belt tension. The amount of depression of the rear sprocket increases vice versa with initial track belt tension, while the eccentricity of the resultant normal force remains almost constant. As a result, it has been confirmed that the lower limit of the initial track belt tension can be determined to be 2∼3 kN at the driving action and almost zero at the braking action, for the given vehicle and the given sloped terrain. This automation of the trafficability control system will produce a high power efficiency for a flexible tracked tractor towing up and down a weak slope.
