Publications / 1990 Proceedings of the 7th ISARC, Bristol, United Kingdom
As the flexibility of track belt running on a weak terrain affects the shape of contact pressure distribution, the flexibility is dominant not only over the trust developed under the track but over the amount of slip linkage at the rear sprocket. Here, the relations between track tension, normal and shear stress distribution, and the amount of static and slip linkages have been presented for a flexible tracked bulldozer running on a weak silty loam terrain by means of the rigorous simmulation programme. As the results, its is clarified that the effective tractive effort increases monotonously and the amount of total sinkage of rear sprocket decreases remarkably with the increment of track tension. For adjusting the track tension to the optimim flexibility corresponding to the running terrain, an automated tension control system of the track belt should be established by use of some track tension sensor or rut depth sensor