Multi-axle skid-steer wheeled vehicles have the advantages of simplicity and enhanced traction. That’s why they are used in off-road environments and also in mobile robots. In the present work, a dynamic analysis of the propulsion system requirements for multi-axle wheeled vehicles is investigated. As the multi-axle wheeled vehicle differentially steers at a smaller turning radius, the driving torque requirements approach their peak. The adhesion at each tire of the multi-axle vehicle and its relation to the contact patches are analyzed. The analysis presented starts with four wheel drive, six wheel drive and eight wheel drive vehicles, then it is widened to n-wheel drive vehicles. A generic formula for obtaining the propulsion torque requirements for multi-axle skid-steer wheeled vehicles is presented. The analysis is extended to include experimental validation of the obtained analytical results. The experimental work includes three small electrically driven skid-steer vehicles; four wheel drive vehicle, six wheel drive vehicle and eight wheel drive vehicle. The selection of the drive motors for each of those vehicles was based on the proposed formula. Each of the three vehicles was tested in the worst case adhesion torque requirement. The experimental results showed that the proposed formula is capable, to a great extent, to predict the torque requirements for the multi-axle skid-steer wheeled vehicles in the design phase.


Propulsion Dynamic Requirements Analysis for Multi-Axle Skid-Steer Wheeled Vehicles

Division / Sponsors: 
Design Engineering Division and Computers & Information In Engineering Division


Paper Proceedings: https://asmedigitalcollection.asme.org/IDETC-CIE/IDETC-CIE2020/volume/83907

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