DEVELOPMENT OF ATRACKTENSION MONITORING SYSTEM IN TRACKED VEHICLES

Abstract

The mobility of tracked vehicles is mainly influenced by the characteristics of the track assembly and by the interaction between tracks and soil. In particular, the track tension is closely related to the maneuverability of tracked vehicles and the durability of tracks and suspension systems. In order to minimize the excessive load on the tracks and to prevent the peal-off of tracks from the road wheels, it is required to maintain the optimum track tension throughout the maneuver. However, the track tension cannot be easily measured due to the limitation in the sensor technology, harsh environment, etc. In this paper an indirect track tension monitoring system is developed based on idler assembly models, a geometric relation around the idler, and the tractive force estimated by using the Extended Kaiman Filter. The performance of the tension monitoring system is verified with the results obtained from the Multi-Body Dynamics model.