An experimental study about tractive performance of tracked vehicle on deep-sea soft sediment based on design of experiment using orthogonal array

Abstract

This paper is concerned with an experimental investigation about tractive performance of a tracked vehicle on extremely soft soil. A tracked vehicle model with principal dimensions of 0.9 m(L) × 0.75 m(B) × 0.4 m(H) and the weight of 167 kg was constructed with a pair of driving chain links driven by two AC-servo motors. The tracks are configured with detachable grousers with variable span. Deep seabed was simulated by means of bentonite-water mixture in a soil bin of 6.0 m(L) × 3.7 m(B) × 0.7 m(H). Slip of vehicle and driving torque of motor were measured with respect to experimental variables; grouser span, grouser chevron angle, driving speed, drawbar-pull weight, position of center-of-gravity and weight. L8 orthogonal array is adopted for DOE (Design Of Experiment). The effects of experiment variables on traction performance are evaluated.