• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.31-41
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• 2021

A dozer is a construction machinery used to move soil mass along large open tracts of land. Soil thrust generated on the soil-track interface determines the performance of the dozer; to improve the tractive performance of the dozer, the outer surface of the continuous-track is designed to protrude with grousers. In this study, we calculated soil thrust of the dozer equipped with grousers with various shape ratios, and evaluated the optimal grouser shape ratio considering ground conditions. Grouser generated additional soil thrust on the side of the continuous-track (e.g., side soil thrust) and converted the shearing surface (e.g., from soil-track interface to soil-soil interface), increasing the soil thrust of dozer by about 1.3 to 1.6 times. The effect of grouser's shape ratio on the soil thrust of dozer differed with the relative density of the ground. As the shape ratios of grouser increased, soil thrust of dozer decreased at the relative density of 40% and increased at the relative density of 80%. Based on these results, it can be concluded that the shape ratio of grouser severely affects the dozer's performance; thus, careful consideration of the optimal shape ratio of grouser is of great importance in the mechanical design, evaluation, and optimization of the undercarriage of dozers.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2005.11a
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• pp.188.2-188.2
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• 2005

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.34 no.9
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• pp.33-42
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• 2018

When an off-road tracked vehicle travels, an engine thrust that is transmitted to the continuous track induces a shearing action on the soil-track interface. Consequently, the relative displacement known as slip displacement takes place on the soil-track interface, which develops an associated soil thrust acting as a traction force. For the loose or soft ground conditions, an excessively large slip displacement can be required for the development of the desired soil thrust which will make the tracked vehicle mobile and therefore the outer surface of the continuous track is generally designed to protrude with grousers. This paper fundamentally studied the effect of grousers on the soil thrust of off-road tracked vehicles. Based on the soil-track interaction theory, a new soil thrust assessment method that properly takes into account the effect of grousers was developed. Also, the soil thrust of off-road tracked vehicles equipped with a number of grousers was evaluated using the developed assessment method. The results showed that grousers increased the soil thrust of the continuous track, enhancing the overall tractive performance of off-road tracked vehicles. These effects were more obvious as the height of grouser increased and the spacing of grouser decreased; thus, it is concluded that the grouser which has smaller shape ratio (span of the grouser to a grouser height) significantly enhances off-road tracked vehicle's performance.

• Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.34-38
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• 2003

A mathematical model was developed for estimating the mechanical interrelation between characteristics of soil and main design factors of a tracked vehicle, and predicting the tractive performance of the tracked vehicle. Based on the mathematical model, a computer simulation program (TPPMTV) was developed in the study. The model considered the continuous change in tension for the whole track of a tracked vehicle, the analysis of shape and tension of the track segment between sprocket and first roadwheel, and the side thrust on both sides of grouser by the active earth pressure theory in predicting the tractive performance of a tracked vehicle. Also, the model contained not only sinkage depth of the track but the pressure distribution under the track in analyzing the side thrust. The effectiveness of the developed model was verified by performing the draw bar pull tests with a tracked vehicle reconstructed for test in loam soil with moisture content of 18.92％. The predicted drawbar pulls by the model were well matched to the measured ones. Such results implied that the model developed in the study could estimate the drawbar pulls well at various soil conditions, and would be very useful as a simulation tool for designing a tracked vehicle and predicting its tractive performance.