Steering analysis of articulated tracked vehicles

Abstract

Abstract Lately, there has been increasing interest in articulated tracked vehicles for various applications. Examples of these vehicles are plentiful, as they can be used as transporters for heavy equipment or as heavy earth-moving machines. This is especially relevant in Middle-East countries where transporting and construction of heavy-duty oil and gas pipelines have to be accomplished. Also, these vehicles have been used in the developing countries in the field of agriculture. However, the theory of steering of tracked vehicles by articulation has not been fully investigated. There is no complete description of the mechanics of steering a tracked vehicle by articulation, and of how all the forces, couples, and many other parameters involved relate to each other. This paper deals theoretically with the wagon-type articulation of tracked vehicles. It is a particular kind of articulation in which a tracked vehicle tows a tracked trailer by a drawbar which is rigidly fixed to the trailer, and is hinged on the towing vehicle. The object is to see to what extent the geometry of the joint and the trailer both affect the steering. It is hoped that the analysis might be useful in determining the manoeuvrability of these kinds of vehicles over deserts and other types of loose-soil terrain.