TY - JOUR
T1 - A simple rubber crawler model for studying fluctuation in crawler tension
AU - Fukushima, Takashi
AU - Inoue, Eiji
AU - Mitsuoka, Muneshi
AU - Sato, Kunio
AU - Oguri, Takefumi
N1 - Funding Information:
Funding: This work was partially supported by JSPS KAKENHI [grant numbers JP15H04573 , JP23780256 ].
PY - 2018/7
Y1 - 2018/7
N2 - A half-tracked tractor equipped with an oscillating crawler system has better stability on uneven ground than wheel type tractors, which respond directly to a concavo-convex surface. However, the crawler tension fluctuates according to the variation in the perimeter of the crawler unit, since the hitch point of the oscillating frame is set separately from the drive axis of the drive sprocket. It is suggested that this fluctuation of the crawler tension would influence the driving performance. This study aims to evaluate the relationship between the crawler tension and the driving performance of the oscillating crawler unit using kinematics simulation. The ultimate objective is to achieve traveling control with fluctuation in the crawler tension. This paper introduces a rubber crawler model that is able to simulate the fluctuation in the crawler tension. In the driving simulation, the effect of the elastic parameters of the crawler and support spring on the driving performance of the oscillating crawler unit was examined. It was observed that the driving performance of the oscillating crawler unit is affected by the parameters of the rubber crawler and the support spring of the idle roller.
AB - A half-tracked tractor equipped with an oscillating crawler system has better stability on uneven ground than wheel type tractors, which respond directly to a concavo-convex surface. However, the crawler tension fluctuates according to the variation in the perimeter of the crawler unit, since the hitch point of the oscillating frame is set separately from the drive axis of the drive sprocket. It is suggested that this fluctuation of the crawler tension would influence the driving performance. This study aims to evaluate the relationship between the crawler tension and the driving performance of the oscillating crawler unit using kinematics simulation. The ultimate objective is to achieve traveling control with fluctuation in the crawler tension. This paper introduces a rubber crawler model that is able to simulate the fluctuation in the crawler tension. In the driving simulation, the effect of the elastic parameters of the crawler and support spring on the driving performance of the oscillating crawler unit was examined. It was observed that the driving performance of the oscillating crawler unit is affected by the parameters of the rubber crawler and the support spring of the idle roller.
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U2 - 10.1016/j.eaef.2018.02.008
DO - 10.1016/j.eaef.2018.02.008
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85042926879
VL - 11
SP - 122
EP - 126
JO - Engineering in Agriculture, Environment and Food
JF - Engineering in Agriculture, Environment and Food
SN - 1881-8366
IS - 3
ER -