Abstract
A computer program was developed to simulate effect of the initial track tension on the tractive performance of tracked vehicles. The performance was evaluated in terms of drawbar pull, motion resistance, tractive coefficient and tractive efficiency. Results of the simulation showed that increase in track tension decreases the sinkage and mean maximum pressure in clay, making the ground pressure distribution more uniform. This tendency became more evident when the number of roadwheels increased. However, such change in MMPs was negligible in firm soils. Motion resistance was also decreased with increase in track tension and the number of roadwheels. Under weak soil conditions, tractive coefficient and efficiency increased generally as the track tension increased for a slip range of 10∼30%. For slippage less than 3∼4%, however, the tractive coefficient decreased with increase in track tension. In general, it was known that increasing track tension improves tractive performance in weak soil conditions. However, high track tension can reduce efficiency due to the increment of internal motion resistance caused by increased track tension.
