Simulation on Vertical Displacement and Vertical Force Distribution of Snow Under Tracked Vehicle

The driving performance of polar vehicle is affected greatly by the mechanical properties of snow. In order to explore the vertical displacement distribution and vertical force distribution of snow under the tracked vehicle, and to build the theoretical model of the interfacial force between track and snow and the dynamic model of tracked vehicle in snow in future studies, the FEM-MBD (finite element method – multi-body dynamic) coupling simulation model of articulated tracked vehicle running in snow was built. The vertical force distribution and vertical displacement distribution of snow under the load of tracked vehicle at rest and in running state were simulated. The simulation results show that when the tracked vehicle is in running state, the sinkage will be larger compared with that of tracked vehicle at rest in the snow. Field test on the performance of articulated tracked vehicle in snow was carried out. The deformation of snow in longitudinal direction and cross section of the vehicle was in good agreement with that of experiment which verifies the accuracy of the FEM-MBD coupling simulation model and the feasibility of using the FEM-MBD coupling method to study the dynamic behavior of tracked vehicle in snow.