抄録
The turnability characteristics of a flexible tracked vehicle under traction on a loose sandy flat surface are investigated theoretically and experimentally for both the inner and the outer track while being driven. Based on soil mechanics relationships between the surface and the flexible track belt, the turnabilities of the inner and the outer track are considered looking at the surface shear resistance as a function of lateral and longitudinal slip velocity and the amount of slippage. Using terrain-track system constants, the relationships of the amount of depression, the thrust, the compaction resistance of the inner and the outer track, the effective tractive effort, the turning moment of a given tracked vehicle, and the turning radius are predicted for several kinds of steering ratio. From the results, it is determined that the vehicle speed decreases with the increment of turning radius along with the increment of resultant effective tractive effort, and the slip ratio of the outer track is always larger than that of the inner track. The amounts of depression of the front idler of the inner and the outer track decrease with slip ratio while those of the rear sprocket increase. The turning resistance moment of the inner track is always larger than that of the outer track for each surface shear resistance.
