Dynamics of High Mobility Track Vehicles

A mechanical system superelement that represents spatial dynamics of high mobility track vehicle suspension systems is derived. Using results from a companion paper [1], the equations of motion for a suspension system with an arbitrary number of road wheels are systematically derived. Track is represented as a complex internal force element that acts between ground, wheels, and the chassis of the vehicle. Track tension is computed from a relaxed catenary relationship and track bridging effects are modeled. Numerical results for driver acceleration and absorbed power, as well as track tension are presented. A factor of 90 decrease in compute time is achieved over a comparable multibody model of the same vehicle.