Track Wheels Research Articles

Kinematički i silazni obrasci interakcije lančane gusenice transportne mašine sa tlom

This article proposes a mathematical model of a caterpillar track's force and kinematic interaction with the ground during movement. The presence of a positive displacement of caterpillar tracks was proved even in the absence of slipping. This displacement causes the soil to be sheared and thrown out of the area of contact with the caterpillar. The change in the rotation angles of the tracks and the magnitude of their longitudinal displacement were obtained. A drop in the tension force of the caterpillar track was detected on the active section of the supporting surface between the first and second track wheels. The relationships between the main geometric parameters of the caterpillar track, the vertical load on the track wheels, and the movement of the tracks when the track wheels roll over them are established. Practical recommendations are proposed that contribute to the damping of vibrations when the track roller passes over the caterpillar track.

A Traction Performance Analysis of Track Wheels Type on Wet and Deep Muddy of Soil in Soil Bin

Hand tractors with lugged wheels have difficulty when operating in wet and deep mud of paddy fields. To solve this problem, the wheels need to be replaced with tracks wheel type that have a much larger contact area. For design purposes, data on traction performance characteristics of the track wheel type on muddy soil are required, which can be obtained by testing the prototype of track wheel type on a soil bin. The objective of this research is to analyze the traction performance of the lugged track of wheel type on wet soil. The track wheel type with a length of 60 cm and a width of 20 cm will be tested in a soil bin filled with wet and muddy soil with a depth of 30 cm. The test will be carried out on variations in vertical loads of 9.5, 12.5, 15.5, 18.5, and 22.7 kg; horizontal loads of 1, 2, 3, and 4 kg; distance between of lugs of 12.70, 19.05, and 25.40 cm; and height of lugs of 5, 10, and 15 cm. Parameters observed in the test are sinkage, slip and traction efficiency. The test results show that the pull force and vertical force have a dominant effect on track sinkage, track slip, and tractive efficiency. The optimum track wheel type design has size a lug height of 10 cm and a distance between lugs of 19.05 cm result in a sinkage of 7.32 cm, slip of 14%, and tractive efficiency of 68.46%.

Assessment of the compaction effect and operational characteristics of a crawler tractor based on a rheological approach

BACKGROUND: At considering the issues of crawler tractors interaction with soil the determining factor is the time-varying impact of loads on the soil layer, its stressed and strained state, which, in turn, directly depends on its stress-strain properties. The properties assessment should be carried out with a rheological approach, which allows to explain many phenomena and processes and to develop new high technologies in terms of the criterion of minimizing the impact on the soil.
 AIMS: Studying the compacting ability of a crawler tractor in a configuration in various machine-tractor units, obtaining a curve for the effect of the traction load on the tractor hook, tractor speed and tractor mass redistribution over the lower track wheels on changes in soil compaction due to developing deformations, the coefficient of running resistance and skidding of the crawler-mounted mover.
 METHODS: The evoluation method for compaction impact of crawler-mounted mover on the soil layer was developed on the base of the previously constructed a general mathematical model for determining ways of reducing the compacting impact of crawler-mounted movers on the bearing surface, computer calculation programmes and the carried out assessment for the deformation development and changes of soil compaction under the crawler track.
 RESULTS: There are presented the simulation results of the process with an assessment of the developing dependences of the crawler tractor rut depth and its sliding on the travelling speed and on the displacement of the center of pressure at different loads on the hook, that obtained with the developed metod of analysis and the well-known theory of hereditary creep of elastic-visco-plastic materials. At the same time, the development of vertical and shear deformations of the soil layer in the area of lower track wheels impact is separately analyzed.
 The analysis of the constructed dependencies allows to identify a number of patterns for changes of compacting effect indicators of a crawler tractor on the soil with an assessment of the influence of the main design and technological parameters on them. It is established that taking into account the rheological characteristics of the soil layer and its state parameters permit significantly improve the accuracy of calculations for vertical and shear deformations of the soil layer and its final compaction after successive passes of the crawler lower track wheels. At the same time, the desired indicators behavior is ambiguously at passes of various lower track wheels.
 CONCLUSION: The conducted studies contribute to the optimal selection of parts for various machine-tractor units based on a specific crawler tractor, which perform the appropriate technological operations in certain conditions of work at specific parameters of the soil state.

Drag reduction design and research of high-speed amphibious vehicle’s deformable track wheels

ABSTRACT In this study, the resistance characteristics of the amphibious vehicle in the transitional stage are studied. A deformable track wheel is designed and its effect on the amphibious vehicle’s resistance is studied. The numerical calculation method based on the RANS solver and the towing test method is used to analyse the hydrodynamic performance of the amphibious vehicle. Based on the comparison of the vehicle model with no wheel, the influence of wheels on additional resistance at the groove fault is studied. The inclination angles of the front and rear deformation wheels are studied respectively. The influence and principle of the track wheel configuration on drag are analysed and expounded in terms of pressure distribution, water climbing and spray on the wheel grooves, and the hull attitude. Finally, an adjustment strategy of the deformable configuration wheel in the transition stage is proposed.

Impact of Geometry of Toothed Segments of the Innovative KOMTRACK Longwall Shearer Haulage System on Load and Slip during the Travel of a Track Wheel

Longwall shearers operating in the underground mine workings move along the longwall face along the conveyor troughs. The haulage system, which is made up of two kinematic pairs in the form of track wheels installed in shearer movers, cooperating with the toothed route built in the conveyor’s throughs, is responsible for moving the shearer. The currently used solutions of longwall shearers’ haulage systems do not ensure proper cooperation of the track wheels with toothed segments, which results in failures and breakdowns in the operation of the longwall systems, causing significant financial losses. Rigid solution of the gear components used is the reason. The solution of the flexible toothed segment, allowing it to adapt to the longitudinal and transverse curvature of the AFC (armored face conveyor) route during cooperation with the track wheel, was developed as part of the research project jointly implemented by KOMAG Institute of Mining Technology, AGH University of Science and Technology, Łukasiewicz Research Network–Cracow Institute of Technology, Specodlew Innovative Foundry Company and Polish Mining Group Inc., co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (contract no. POIR.04.01.04-00-0068/17). The general design and principle of operation of the suggested KOMTRACK system is given. The results of the comparative simulations and analyses are presented. The load and slip values during the cooperation of the track wheels with the standard and new suggested toothed segment were estimated. The effectiveness of cooperation in the shearer movement along a disturbed conveyor route was also compared.

Reducing the energy intensity of overland conveying using a novel rail-running conveyor system

ABSTRACT The energy consumption of modern belt conveying systems has reduced considerably over the past few decades. Although extensive research has been conducted into the production of energy-efficient belt conveyors, significant scope remains to further reduce the energy consumption, especially when heavily loaded or long overland belt conveyors are considered. A new rail-based conveyor system has been developed to reduce the energy consumption of heavily loaded and long overland conveyors. The new technology is aptly named the Rail Conveyor due to its combination of two well-established transportation technologies. The Rail Conveyor merges the benefits of both belt conveyor technology and rail transport to produce an energy-efficient and cost-effective bulk material transportation system. This paper presents a comparison between the energy consumption and motion resistances of the Rail Conveyor system and conventional belt conveyors. The Rail Conveyor is a continuous bulk material transportation system that, due to track wheels running on steel rails, shares a rolling resistance similar in magnitude to railway systems. Due to the effective elimination of the indentation rolling resistance and belt and bulk material flexure resistance within the Rail Conveyor system, an approximate reduction of 50% in energy consumption can be achieved when compared to conventional belt conveyors.

Analysis of the spreader track wheels premature damages

The superstructure of the ARs 2000 spreader leans on three crawlers of identical length, width and height. Serious damage to the track wheels threads occurred already during the spreader’s travel from the erection site to the open pit mine as well as immediately after the overburden system exploitation started. The goal of the study presented in this paper was to diagnose the cause of the track wheels premature damage. Contact stresses on the track wheel bearing surface are defined by applying Hertz’s theory and FEM. In order to clarify the causes of the damages, experimental investigations were performed with the purpose of defining the chemical composition, tensile properties, impact toughness and macro and microhardness of the track wheel material. Metallographic examinations were also conducted. Based on the results of the analytical–numerical–experimental analysis, it can be concluded that track wheels failures are predominantly caused by the ‘design-in’ and ‘manufacturing-in’ defects.

A Mobile Robot Platform with Double Angle-Changeable Tracks

This paper presents a different structured mobile robot platform (MRP) with double tracks, which consists of two segments connected with a swing joint. As the angle between the two segments of the robot platform can be changed, the robot can travel over steep obstacles and climb up stairs. Two track-adjusting devices with passive track-adapting function are designed especially, which ensure that the tracks are always tight to keep the robot platform running reliably. In addition, a design idea for the track wheels is presented. The wheel could be favorable for the robot running smoothly in many kinds of terrains without the tracks coming apart from their wheels. Furthermore, the robot platform has other characteristics such as compact architecture and large useful inner space for arranging the control system and vibration absorption system. Experiments proved that the MRP can run flexibly and reliably in indoor and outdoor environments, and be suitable as a mobile carrier for executing search, rescue, detection and scout missions.

Product and Assembly Design for a Fibre Reinforced Plastic Track Wheel

The design of silent and lightweight components with minimised life cycle costs (LCC) are requirements for modern railroad vehicles. The track wheel as the interface between railroad and vehicle offers a high potential for optimisation. The application of fibre reinforced plastic (FRP) in the wheel body simultaneously minimises sound emissions and reduces wear effects by lowering unsprung wheel masses. This paper presents a new modular track wheel design with FRP discs in combination with steel flanges. Several design and assembly alternatives have been analysed and an optimised solution based on numerical simulation and new fibre preform technologies has been selected. With regard to the high security requirements on track wheels, design of specific quality assurance methods and maintenance plans and operations have been assessed.

Ore-Handling Bridges

Abstract In this profusely illustrated paper the author, after briefly referring to the cable tramway first used for handling ore, takes up the development of the bridge type of tramway. The invention of the automatic grab bucket and the adoption of electric power, he points out, made possible the modern methods used in unloading and rehandling ore. He then discusses various methods which have been proposed to secure stability and safety in ore bridges in order to withstand wind storms of high velocity. Types of wind bracing are then dealt with, as well as skewing bridges for avoiding twisting stresses when one end of bridge travels faster than the other. The four travel mechanisms which have been largely used are described, following which tracks and track wheels are considered. The paper concludes with a brief discussion of improvements which have taken place in trolley design as distinguished from design of the bridge structure.