Efficiency analysis of a multiple axle vehicle with hydrostatic transmission overcoming obstacles

Transmission configurations in off-road vehicles with multiple driven axles can be a determining factor in the obstacle surmounting capacity and also in the vehicle efficiency. An off-road articulated vehicle with four driven axles, four bogies and two modules has been considered for the global hydrostatic transmission efficiency analysis and for the vehicle functional efficiency analysis. The power flow through the transmission system has been quantified from the combustion engine shaft to each axle of the wheels. It has been done for different the operating conditions and taking into account the wheel–terrain interaction and the transmission configuration, that could lead to a forced slippage of some of the wheels. Results show the influence of the different wheels’ requirements, the transmission configuration limitations and the considered control strategy on the global transmission and vehicle functional efficiencies.     

Chaotic Motion of Wheels

Trolleys have wheels which can choose the direction of their rolling. Studying the motion of a wheel like this, we can often find periodic motions (“shimmy”) or even chaotic ones. It has also been experienced that the chaotic motions sometimes disappear quite unexpectedly. A strongly simplified model of these systems is analysed in the paper by means of the methods of bifurcation theory. Analytical and numerical results are shown to characterize the system, including simulation results. Similar behaviour can be found in more complicated systems as well, like the trailers or the nose-gears of aeroplanes. The development of the so-called transient chaotic motion is explained in these systems.