Tractive performance analysis of diameter-variable wheel for 4WD all-terrain vehicle on soft soil

Four-wheel drive all-terrain light exploration vehicle with diameter-variable wheels was innovatively designed out to solve the problems when conventional ground vehicles and wheels driving on soft terrain, such as poor trafficability, low efficiency, big energy consumption and even can't drive. The wheel has two extreme working status: elastic extended walking-wheel and folded rigid wheel. Based on classical terramechanics theory, the dynamics models of interactions between two types of working wheel status and three kinds of typical soft soils were established. The drawbar pull, driving torque and driving efficiency as well as sinkage of diameter-variable wheel were analyzed under the condition of different slip. The results indicate that traction trafficability indexes are limited by wheel slip and soft soil parameters. The simulation provides theoretical basis for that the elastic extended wheel can improve significantly bigger drawbar pull, driving efficiency and soft soil traction trafficability, and reduce sinkage compared with that of rigid folded wheel's, and can be used as the reference for further experimental investigation.