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Peterson, Jeremy. "Directional control of a tracked machine utilizing a dual-path hydrostatic transmission /." free to MU campus, to others for purchase, 2003. http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/mo/fullcit?p1418057.
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Chiang, Chi-Feng. "Handling characteristics of tracked vehicles on non-deformable surfaces." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 1999. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk1/tape8/PQDD_0018/MQ48517.pdf.
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Chiang, Chi-Feng Carleton University Dissertation Engineering Mechanical and Aerospace. "Handling characteristics of tracked vehicles on non-deformable surfaces." Ottawa, 1999.
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Kasim, Salim Y. "Ride Analysis For Suspension System of off-Road Tracked Vehicles." Thesis, Cranfield University, 1991. http://dspace.lib.cranfield.ac.uk/handle/1826/4664.
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In this work. an attempt has been made to develop a programming package
for ride analysis of off-road vehicles based upon a finite-element
formulation of vehicle suspension systems. Mathematical modelling of
generalised suspension systems has been carried out with several
non-linear aspects being investigated and implemented in the programming
package. such as large deflection. non-linear characteristics of springs
and dampers. bump stops and wheel separation. Different types of soi 1
have been considered together with an appropriate modelling of vehicle
tracks. Several methods for time integration of dynamic equations have
been investigated so as to deal wi th numerical instabi 1 i ty problems
expected for off-road suspension systems which often have "stiff"
differential equations of motion. Three ride analysis criteria have also
been considered in the programming package. Several case studies have been analysed using the developed programming
package. They consist of two simple case studies with known analytical
solutions. an existing wheeled off-road vehicle with published analog
computer resul t s , and an off-road tracked vehicle wi th known
experimental results. The package has been validated and proved to be an
acceptable tool for the ride analysis of off-road vehicles. within the
approximating assumptions considered. Several measures for future
development have also been suggested.
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Bodin, Anders. "Improving the mobility performance of tracked vehicles in deep snow /." Luleå : Luleå tekniska univ, 2002. http://epubl.luth.se/1402-1544/2002/10/index.html.
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Lee, Sang Uk S. M. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. "Robust motion planning for autonomous tracked vehicles in deformable terrain." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/106779.
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Thesis: S.M., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Mechanical Engineering, 2016.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 90-95).
Ensuring the safety of autonomous vehicles during operation is a challenging task. Numerous factors such as process noise, sensor noise, incorrect model etc. can yield uncertainty in robot's state. Especially for tracked vehicles operating on rough terrain, vehicle slip due to vehicle terrain interaction affects the vehicle system significantly. In such cases, the motion planning of the autonomous vehicle must be performed robustly, considering the uncertain factors in advance of the real-time navigation. The primary contribution of this thesis is to present a robust optimal global planner for autonomous tracked vehicles operating in off-road terrain with uncertain slip. In order to achieve this goal, three tasks must be completed. First, the motion planner must be able to work efficiently under the non-holonomic vehicle system model. An approximate method is applied to the tracked vehicle system ensuring both optimality and efficiency. Second, the motion planner should ensure robustness. For this, a robust incremental sampling based motion planning algorithm (CC-RRT*) is combined with the LQG-MP algorithm. CC-RRT* yields the optimal and probabilistically feasible trajectory by using a chance constrained approach under the RRT* framework. LQG-MP provides the capability of considering the role of compensator in the motion planning phase and bounds the degree of uncertainty to appropriate size. Third, the effect of slip on the vehicle system must be modeled properly. This can be done in advance of operation if we have experimental data and full information about the environment. However, in case where such knowledge is not available, the online slip estimation can be performed using system identification method such as the IPEM algorithm. Simulation results shows that the resulting algorithms are efficient, optimal, and robust. The simulation was performed on a realistic scenario with several important factors that can increase the uncertainty of the vehicle. Experimental results are also provided to support the validity of the proposed algorithm. The proposed framework can be applied to other robotic systems where robustness is an important issue.
by Sang Uk Lee.
S.M.
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Gower, Daniel W. Jr. "Speech intelligibility in tracked vehicles and pink noise under active noise reduction and passive attenuation communications headsets." Diss., Virginia Tech, 1992. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/38410.
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Speech intelligibility tests using three headset systems, two passive and one with active noise reduction technology, were conducted. Nine listeners, six males and three females, responded to 180 50-word Modified Rhyme Word Lists presented under two noise conditions, two conditions of bilateral phase reversal of the speech signal, and the three headset systems. These three independent variables were studied in a full factorial within-subjects design.
The noise conditions were pink noise and recordings from the troop carrying compartment of a u.S. Army M-2 Bradley Fighting Vehicle (tank noise having substantial low frequency energy). Phase reversal of the speech signal was also tested for its effect on speech intelligibility. The three headset systems were the David Clark Noise Attenuating Aviation Headset, and the Bose Aviation Headset used in both its passive and active mode. Active noise reduction technology employs the physical principle of constructive and destructive interference by creating signals which are identical to the noise under the earmuff but out of phase by 180 degrees. This technology is most effective at frequencies below 1000 Hz. Results showed that the Bose headset in its active mode required a significantly higher speech-to-noise ratio in both noise environments than the two passive headset systems to achieve the 70% level of speech intelligibility, the dependent variable in this study. The mean speech level under the Bose headset in its active mode was 2.8 dB higher in tank noise and 3.5 dB higher in pink noise than under the David Clark headset. The Bose headset in the active mode, however, provided a greater degree of broadband attenuation especially in the lower frequency range, e.g. < 630 Hz.
Phase reversal proved to be of no benefit to performance in either noise environment. The pink noise proved to be the harsher environment for speech intelligibility than did the tank noise, primarily due to the increased levels in the speech bandwidth. Articulation Index scores for the three headset systems evidenced that the differences in performance among the three headset systems were in part the result of better earphone response characteristics in the principal speech bandwidth (600 - 4000 Hz) in conjunction with the strong attenuation performance of the David Clark headset in that same range. It is suggested that, in the absence of better earphone response characteristics and a broader bandwidth of active noise reduction performance, speech intelligibility is no better under active noise reduction headsets than under quality passive headsets. Further, the levels of speech intelligibility attained by active noise reduction headsets are at a cost of increased signal strength and higher purchase price.Ph. D.
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Gothing, Grant Edward. "Development of the "Discretized Dynamic Expanding Zones with Memory" Autonomous Mobility Algorithm for the Nemesis Tracked Vehicle Platform." Thesis, Virginia Tech, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/34404.
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The Nemesis tracked vehicle platform is a differentially driven Humanitarian Demining tractor developed by Applied Research Associates, Inc. The vehicle is capable of teleoperational control and is outfitted with a sensor suite used for detecting and neutralizing landmines. Because the detection process requires the vehicle to travel at speeds less than 0.5 km/h, teleoperation is a tedious process. The added autonomous capabilities of waypoint navigation and obstacle avoidance could greatly reduce operator fatigue.
ARA chose to leverage Virginia Tech's experience in developing an autonomous mobility capability for the Nemesis platform. The resulting algorithms utilize the waypoint navigation techniques of Virginia Tech's JAUS (Joint Architecture for Unmanned Systems) toolkit, and a modified version of the Dynamic Expanding Zones (DEZ) algorithm developed for the 2005 DARPA Grand Challenge. The modified approach discretizes the perception zones of the DEZ algorithm and provides the added capability of obstacle memory, resulting in the Discretized Dynamic Expanding Zones with Memory (DDEZm) algorithm. These additions are necessary for efficient autonomous control of the differentially driven Nemesis vehicle.
The DDEZm algorithm was coded in LabVIEW and used to autonomously navigate the Nemesis vehicle through a waypoint course while avoiding obstacles. The Joint Architecture for Unmanned Systems (JAUS) was used as the communication standard to facilitate the interoperability between the software developed at Virginia Tech and the existing Nemesis software developed by ARA. In addition to development and deployment, the algorithm has been fully documented for embedded coding by a software engineer. With embedded implementation on the vehicle, this algorithm will help to increase the efficiency of the landmine detection process, ultimately saving lives.
Master of Science
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Revathi, Palaniappan Natchammai. "Forest Machine Track-Soil Interaction." Thesis, KTH, Maskinkonstruktion (Inst.), 2013. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-142428.
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I många västeuropeiska länder har metoden för skogsavverkning ändrats från användning av motorsåg till ett mekaniserat skogsavverkningssystem känt som kortvirkesmetoden. Denna metod är baserad på en tvåmaskinslösning – en skördare som fäller, grenar och sågar träden enlig fördefinierade längder, och en skotare som transporterar stockarna till en lastplats för vidare transport till en bearbetningsanläggning. För att utveckla skogsmaskiner som är skonsammare för marken behövs en djupare förståelse av interaktionen mellan terrängen och dragfordonet. Huvudfokus i detta projekt ligger på bandgående skotare.Inom detta projekt, innefattar interaktionen mellan bandet och marken spårbildning, sammanpressning, marktryck, skjuvning, grepp och dragkraft. Spårdjupet är en av de viktiga faktorerna för att bestämma fordonets prestanda och skadeåverkan på mark och vegetation. Mätning och karakterisering av de mekaniska egenskaperna för flersiktade jordlager är en komplex uppgift. De två oftast använda metoderna för att mäta jordens mekaniska egenskaper är Bevametertekniken och Konpenetrometertekniken, där Bevametertekniken är jämförelsevis mindre effektiv för att karakterisera den nordiska skogsträngen eftersom skogsjorden inte är homogen.Olika semiempiriska WES-modeller och parametriska modeller används för bestämmandet av marktryck, spårdjup, dragkraft, rörelsemotstånd och kraften i dragkroken för hjul- och bandfordonen. Beräkningarna utfördes för en skotare av mediumstorlek utrustad med tre olika typer av band monterade på boggihjulen. Detta gjordes för tre olika typer av terrängförhållanden och både med och utan last. Även en jämförelse mellan hjul- och bandfordon gjordes. Resultatet från de teoretiska beräkningarna jämfördes med testdata från ett fullskaligt fältprov. Fältprovet inkluderade data för marktryck, nerträngning i jorden och spårdjup mätt på en skotare, både med och utan last.Adams for Tracked Vehicles (ATV) plugin är ett verktyg primärt utvecklat för dynamiska simuleringar av bandfordon. Fördelar och nackdelar med mjukvaran och dess lämplighet för användning för modellering av interaktionen mellan band och jord for skogsmaskiner diskuteras i denna rapport.In many Western European countries, the method of timber harvesting has changed from the use of chain saws to a mechanized harvesting system known as Cut-To-Length method. This cut to length method is based on a two-machine solution – a harvester that folds, branches and cuts trees according to pre-defined lengths, and a forwarder that transports logs to a loading area from where it is further transported to a processing facility. In order to develop forest machines that is gentler to the ground, a thorough understanding of the terrain and the vehicle’s traction unit is required. The main focus of this project is on the tracked forest forwarders.In this project, the track soil interaction covers issues like rutting, compaction, ground pressure, shearing, traction and drawbar pull. The rut depth is one of the important factors to determine the vehicle performance and damages caused to the ground and vegetation. Measurement and characterization of the mechanical properties of a multilayer soil is quite a complex task. The two most commonly used methods to measure the soil mechanical properties are the Bevameter technique and the Cone penetrometer technique, of which the Bevameter technique is comparatively less efficient for characterizing the Nordic forest terrain as the forest soil is not homogenous.Different semi-empirical WES models and parametric models are used for the determining the ground pressure, rut depth, tractive force, motion resistance and drawbar pull for the wheeled and tracked vehicles. The calculations were performed for a medium sized forwarder equipped with three different types of tracks mounted on bogie wheels on three types of terrain conditions under loaded and unloaded conditions. A comparison of the wheeled and tracked vehicle performance is also made. The results obtained from the theoretical calculations are compared with the test data from a full scale field test. The field test data include ground pressure, soil penetration and rut depth data measured on the forwarder with and without load.Adams for Tracked vehicles (ATV) plugin is a tool primarily developed for performing dynamic simulations of tracked equipment. The pros and cons of the software and it’s suitability to be used for the track soil interaction modeling of forestry machines is discussed in this report.
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Park, Si-Won. "Analysis of interactions of logistics elements of K-1 tracked vehicles in the Republic of Korea Army by using simulation model." Thesis, Monterey, Calif. : Naval Postgraduate School, 2007. http://bosun.nps.edu/uhtbin/hyperion-image.exe/07Jun%5FPark.pdf.
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Thesis (M.S. in Operations Research)--Naval Postgraduate School, June 2007.Thesis Advisor(s): Susan M. Sanchez, Keebom Kang. "June 2007." Includes bibliographical references (p. 103-104). Also available in print.
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Eriksson, Linus. "Motorbyte BV206 : Utredning och rekommendation." Thesis, Luleå tekniska universitet, Institutionen för teknikvetenskap och matematik, 2016. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:ltu:diva-59659.
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Scandinavian Terrain Vehicles AB (STV) konstruerar och bygger bandvagnar för civilt bruk. I utbudet ingår även vad STV kallar Mid Life Improvement (MLI) vilket syftar i att renovera Hägglunds BV206. En del av MLI-programmet är byte av motor och växellåda där de gamla komponenterna från sent 80-tal till tidigt 90-tal byts ut mot ny motor och växellåda. Den nya kombinationen av motor och växellåda möter militär standard och blir därför en onödigt kostsam del då många av STV:s kunder skulle vara nöjda även med ett enklare alternativ. För att minska kostnaden för MLI-programmet och därmed potentiellt utöka kundkretsen undersöktes möjligheterna till att hitta nya leverantörer av motor och växellåda. Som alternativ undersöktes möjligheterna till drift genom diesel- eller Ottomotor samt transmission av typerna automatisk växellåda, hydrostatisk och elektrisk transmission. Sökning av komponenter utgick från att undersöka vilka komponenttillverkare som används av liknande applikationer. Genom en kriterieviktsmetod blev det rekommenderade lösningsalternativet motorn Cummins ISF 2.8 120 kW och växellådan Allison 1000SP. Kombinationen levererar som mest 1384 Nm och vid 5200 rpm 185 Nm till fördelningsväxeln. Resultatet styrks av att motorn enligt tillverkaren är lämpad för fordon såsom mindre lastbilar och terrängfordon samt att växellådor av samma tillverkare används till bland annat BAE Systems Hägglunds bandvagn BvS10.Scandinavian Terrain Vehicles AB (STV) is a company that designs and builds tracked vehicles for civilian usage. One of their services is what they call Mid Life Improvement (MLI) which serves to recondition Hägglunds BV206’s. A significant part of the MLI-program is the exchange of engine and transmission where components from the late 80’s to early 90’s are replaced with new parts. The new parts consist of a combination of engine and gearbox that meets military standards and is therefore an expensive part especially since many of STV’s customers would settle with a more elementary alternative. To reduce costs within the MLI-program and potentially expand clientele STV sought to find new suppliers for engine and gearbox. Considered alternatives for replacement were Otto- and Diesel engines in coupled with a transmission in the form of either an automatic gearbox, a hydrostatic or an electric transmission. By examining which suppliers were being used by similar applications and selection through a weighted criteria method, the engine Cummins ISF 2.8 120 kW and transmission Allison 1000SP were found to be the best suited alternative. The combination delivers to the distribution gearbox a maximum torque of 1384 Nm and 185 Nm at 5200 rpm. The result is attested by the fact that the engine is according to the manufacturer suitable for applications like trucks and utility vehicles together with that the same brand of transmission is used by BAE Systems Hägglunds in their BvS10.
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Bailey, Alfred Dunlop. "Alligators, Buffaloes, and Bushmasters : the history of the development of the LVT through World War II /." Washington, D.C. : History and Museums Division, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps : Copies from Marine Corps Historical Center (Code HDS), 1986. http://purl.access.gpo.gov/GPO/LPS98777.
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Thesis (M.A.)--University of Utah, 1976.Includes bibliographical references (p. 268-271). Also available via Internet from the Marines web site. Address as of 7/30/08: http://www.marines.mil/news/publications/Documents/ALLIGATORS,%20BUFFALOES,%20AND%20BUSHMASTERS%20%20PCN%2019000319000.pdf; current access available via PURL.
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Kotb, Ata Wael Galal Mohamed. "Intelligent control of tracked vehicle suspension." Thesis, University of Manchester, 2014. https://www.research.manchester.ac.uk/portal/en/theses/intelligent-control-of-tracked-vehicle-suspension(00b9d080-2e1b-4634-89ec-061ab5899b76).html.
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Vibrations caused by rough road excitations influence tracked vehicle dynamic performance. Good capabilities of such vehicles like high mobility, manoeuvrability and comfort are guaranteed by optimal suspension systems. The suspension systems of tracked vehicles are exposed to extreme operating conditions. This creates a conflict between ride comfort and handling that is even greater than the conflict between ride comfort and handling for general road vehicles. Tracked vehicles must be able to traverse not only rough roads but also smooth terrains. The challenges in developing an optimized suspension system for tracked vehicles include the high and changeable damping forces required for tracked vehicles crossing rough terrains. The use of active or semi-active suspension systems overcomes the limitations inherent in the conventional passive suspension. However, active suspension systems are expensive, complicated to design and have high power demand. Thus, semi-active suspension systems have emerged as a good compromise between active and passive suspension system. There is considerable current research on the applications of magnetorheological (MR) fluid dampers for semi-active suspensions of executive brand of some cars. However, there is very little research on semi-active devices for tracked vehicle suspension. In fact, currently, there is no commercially available large scale MR dampers in the market that produce the high damping force to suit such applications. In response to these requirements, this research proposes a novel semi-active tracked vehicle suspension system that uses MR dampers to improve the ride comfort and handling characteristics of tracked vehicles. It also assesses the dynamics of the new suspension with various semi-active control methods. This study is conducted in four phases. The first phase provides a numerical investigation on the dynamic performance of a seven-degrees-of-freedom (7-DOF) passive suspension model of the armour personnel carrier (APC) M113 tracked vehicle. The numerical investigation considers the influence of variation of five suspension design parameters on the vehicle dynamic performance. These parameters include number, locations of hydraulic shock absorber, damping coefficient, suspension and wheel stiffnesses. The results indicate that the optimal suspension performance is attained by using two or three dampers. The best locations for these dampers are at the extreme road wheels i.e. the first, second and last road wheel stations. Moreover, the vehicle performance is reduced when the damping coefficient is increased. Additionally, low suspension stiffness offers better vehicle ride while high wheel stiffness degrades the vehicle performance. These results identify the limitations inherent in the conventional passive suspension. For the second phase, the dynamic characteristics of the hydraulic, hydro-gas and MR dampers are experimentally measured and fitted using the Chebyshev orthogonal functions to produce the restoring force surfaces for each damper, which are compared. On one hand, the restoring force surfaces of the hydraulic and hydro-gas dampers show fixed properties at specified frequencies. On the other hand, the restoring force surfaces of the MR dampers show properties that can be controlled at the same specified frequencies by the variation of the applied current levels. Thus, the potential and the effectiveness of the controllable properties of MR dampers for semi-active vibration control is demonstrated. Also, in this phase, the best set of parameters to use in the modified Bouc-Wen model to characterise the MR dampers, has been derived. The third phase of the project is also experimentally based. A new and novel test rig which represents the 7-DOF scaled suspension model of the tracked vehicle is designed and fabricated. The primary purpose of the test rig is to evaluate the performance of the proposed suspension with MR dampers. Furthermore, experiments are conducted on the test rig to evaluate some semi-active control methods and their effectiveness in reducing suspension vibration. The results show that the use of two or three MR dampers at the extreme wheels offers optimal suspension performance. This confirms the numerical results that are derived from the full scale passive suspension system with hydraulic dampers. The experimental results also show that skyhook control and hybrid control (which combines groundhook and skyhook controls) of the semi-active suspension are more effective in reducing the road-induced vibration and improving the suspension dynamic behaviours. Also, validations of the predicted responses of the semi-active scaled MR suspension model with the measured responses have been presented. The fourth and final phase provides a numerical simulation on the development and evaluation of the semi-active control methods for a full scale tracked vehicle suspension with MR dampers using the validated suspension model. Three semi-active control strategies are proposed. The first two controllers are the skyhook and hybrid controls which provide better suspension performance. In addition, the third controller, which is an intelligent fuzzy-hybrid control system, is used to optimize the suspension performance. The results from this intelligent system are compared with the two traditional control methods (skyhook and hybrid controls) under bump, sinusoidal and random excitations. It is shown that the proposed controller can enhance simultaneously the vehicle ride and handling characteristics.
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Karlén, Anton. "RC-TMV : Remote Controlled Tracked Multipurpose Vehicle." Thesis, KTH, Mekatronik, 2021. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-295799.
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This project seeks to design and construct a track-driven radio controlled vehicle and controller. The purpose is to research if radio can be effectively used to control the robot remotely, as well as research to what extent a tracked design increases the mobility when compared to a wheel-design. The prototype consists of two parts: Vehicle and controller. The vehicle is track-driven with two DC-engines connected by H-bridge. A receiver is fitted to the vehicle. The controller consists of two joysticks, a linear potentiometer as well as a transmitter. Testing was performed by driving the vehicle on different terrain.The results show that it is possible to control via RC and that the vehicle had increased mobility compared to wheeled designs. Two problems were identified: Firstly, the tracks used lacks friction, causing the vehicle to glide when attempting to climb certain objects. Secondly, due to the design of the chassis, objects contact the chassis body instead of the tracks. Causing the vehicle to stall.Detta projekt menar att designa samt konstruera ett banddrivet radiostyrt fordon och tillhörande kontroll. Syftet med detta är att forska om radiostyrning kan effektivt användas för fjärrstyrning och för att undersöka om band-drift ökar fordonets rörlighet jämfört med hjuldrivna motsvarigheter. Prototypen består av två delar; fordon och kontroll. Fordonet är band-drivet med två DC-motorer med högt drivmoment kopplade till en H-brygga. En mottagare är monterad på fordonet. Kontrollen består av två joysticks, en linjärpotentiometer samt en sändare. Testen genomfördes genom att låta fordonet köra över olika terräng. Resultaten av testerna visade att det är möjligt att fjärrstyra med RC samt att fordonet hade ökad rörlighet jämfört med hjuldrivna motsvarigheter. Två problem identifierades under testen. Banden saknar friktion och glider ibland i stället för att klättra över hinder. På grund av chassits form kolliderade ibland objekt med chassit före banden vilket stoppade fordonet.
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Johnson, Christopher Patrick. "Comparative Analysis of Lightweight Robotic Wheeled and Tracked Vehicle." Thesis, Virginia Tech, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/76994.
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This study focuses on conducting a benchmarking analysis for light wheeled and tracked robotic vehicles. Vehicle mobility has long been a key aspect of research for many organizations. According to the Department of Defense vehicle mobility is defined as, "the overall capacity to move from place to place while retaining its ability to perform its primary mission"[1]. Until recently this definition has been applied exclusively to large scale wheeled and tracked vehicles. With new development lightweight ground vehicles designed for military and space exploration applications, the meaning of vehicle mobility must be revised and the tools at our disposal for evaluating mobility must also be expanded. In this context a significant gap in research is present and the main goal of this thesis is to help fill the void in knowledge regarding small robotic vehicle mobility assessment. Another important aspect of any vehicle is energy efficiency. Thus, another aim of this study is to compare the energy needs for a wheeled versus tracked robot, while performing similar tasks.
The first stage of the research is a comprehensive review of the state-of-the-art in vehicle mobility assessment. From this review, a mobility assessment criterion for light robots will be developed. The second stage will be outfitting a light robotic vehicle with a sensor suite capable of capturing relevant mobility criteria. The third stage of this study will be an experimental investigation of the mobility capability of the vehicle. Finally the fourth stage will include quantitative and qualitative evaluation of the benchmarking study.Master of Science
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Kanarat, Amnart. "Modeling and Simulation of a Multi-Unit Tracked Vehicle." Thesis, Virginia Tech, 1999. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/9755.
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A multi-unit tracked vehicle such as a continuous haulage system is widely used in underground mining applications due to its high mobility and payload capacity on rugged and soft terrain. To automate such a system, a high fidelity model of a tracked vehicle is essential in designing a controller for each tracked vehicle in the system, and a system model is required to simulate its response to input commands.
This thesis presents the 2-D mathematical models of a tracked vehicle and a multi-unit tracked vehicle. All existing track-terrain interaction models are investigated and modified. By employing the modified track-terrain interaction model and applying Newton's second law of motion, the equations of motion of both single and multi-unit tracked vehicles can be derived. Computer programs for simulating the motions of these tracked vehicles on level ground have been implemented on a digital computer based on the derived system of differential equations. The fourth-order Runge-Kutta and Keun's methods are adopted to numerically integrate these differential equations.
The simulation results clearly show that the programs can accurately predict the motion of a tracked vehicle maneuvered on horizontal plane, and closely predict the response of a multi-unit tracked vehicle operated on level ground its command inputs.Master of Science
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Tappe, Jack A. "Development of star tracker system for accurate estimation of spacecraft attitude." Thesis, Monterey, California : Naval Postgraduate School, 2009. http://edocs.nps.edu/npspubs/scholarly/theses/2009/Dec/09Dec%5FTappe.pdf.
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Thesis (M.S. in Astronautical Engineering)--Naval Postgraduate School, December 2009.Thesis Advisor(s): Kim, Jae Jim ; Agrawal, Brij N. "December 2009." Description based on title screen as viewed on January 26, 2010. Author(s) subject terms: Star tracker, Planar triangles, Angle method, Spherical triangle, Quaternion estimator, Least-squares (QUEST), TRIAD Includes bibliographical references (p. 87-88). Also available in print.
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Kirimlioglu, Serdar. "Multisensor Dead Reckoning Navigation On A Tracked Vehicle Using Kalman Filter." Master's thesis, METU, 2012. http://etd.lib.metu.edu.tr/upload/12614939/index.pdf.
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The aim of this thesis is to write a multisensor navigation algorithm and to design a test setup. After doing these, test the algorithm by using the test setup. In navigation, dead reckoning is a procedure to calculate the position from initial position with some measured inputs. These measurements do not include absolute position data. Using only an inertial measurement unit is an example for dead reckoning navigation. Calculating position and velocity with the inertial measurement unit is highly erroneous because, this calculation requires integration of acceleration data. Integration means accumulation of errors as time goes. For example, a constant acceleration error of 0.1 m/s^2 on 1 m/s^2 of acceleration will lead to 10% of position error in only 5 seconds. In addition to this, wrong calculation of attitude is going to blow the accumulated position errors. However, solving the navigation equations while knowing the initial position and the IMU readings is possible, the IMU is not used solely in practice. In literature, there are studies about this topic and in these studiessome other sensors aid the navigation calculations. The aiding or fusion of sensors is accomplished via Kalman filter. In this thesis, a navigation algorithm and a sensor fusion algorithm were written. The sensor fusion algorithm is based on estimation of IMU errors by use of a Kalman filter. The design of Kalman filter is possible after deriving the mathematical model of error propagation of mechanization equations. For the sensor fusion, an IMU, two incremental encoders and a digital compass were utilized. The digital compass outputs the orientation data directly (without integration). In order to find the position, encoder data is calculated in dead reckoning sense. The sensor triplet aids the IMU which calculates position data by integrations. In order to mount these four sensors, an unmanned tracked vehicle prototype was manufactured. For data acquisition, an xPC&ndash
Target system was set. After planning the test procedure, the tests were performed. In the tests, different paths for different sensor fusion algorithms were experimented. The results were recorded in a computer and a number of figures were plotted in order to analyze the results. The results illustrate the benefit of sensor fusion and how much feedback sensor fusion is better than feed forward sensor fusion.
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Bae, Sungkoo. "GLAS spacecraft attitude determination using CCD star tracker and 3-axis gyros /." Digital version accessible at:, 1998. http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/utexas/main.
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Wang, Kun. "Dynamic analysis of a tracked snowplowing vehicle and assessment of ride quality." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 1998. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk2/tape17/PQDD_0007/MQ39481.pdf.
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Hawari, Haitham M. "Minimising track degradation through managing vehicle/track interaction." Queensland University of Technology, 2007. http://eprints.qut.edu.au/16366/.
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The rate at which a railway track deteriorates depends on the response of the track under different static and repeated dynamic forces. These wheel/rail forces lead to imperfections in the rail surface and deviation in track geometry alignment. The wheel/rail forces are dependent upon the quality of maintenance of the characteristics of both train and track. If train components such as wheelsets and suspensions are maintained to a high standard, less dynamic forces are generated at the wheel/rail interface and less damage is caused over time. Therefore, the amount and cost of maintenance of track are reduced. However, there is little known about how the characteristics of train components affect time-dependent track degradation. Track degradation through deviation of track from its ideal position has the most effect on maintenance costs. Therefore, the present research aims to investigate this track degradation and improve understanding of the effects of train characteristics (such as train mass and speed, suspension stiffness and damping) on railway tracks. The research is conducted by looking into the relationship between wheel/rail forces and track degradation on one hand and between wheel/rail forces and train characteristics on the other hand, with the objective of assisting in managing vehicle/track interaction in order to minimise track degradation. This aim is achieved by investigating the above two relationships to attain the desired relationship between track degradation and train characteristics. The research focuses on wheel/rail vertical forces (both amplitudes and frequencies), vertical track alignment (longitudinal vertical profile), and rail head defects. The study started by collecting wheel/rail vertical forces data in addition to data on vertical track degradation under sustained traffic loads on a heavy haul railway section of track in Central Queensland. Also, five years of degradation and maintenance history data were collected on three other test sections of railway track under variety of traffic conditions and loads in Central Queensland. There were four main analyses of this data employed to probe the study. The first analysis was performed by examining the track degradation history data. The standard deviation method was used in this first analysis to acquire the rate of deterioration in terms of its relationship to track profile (roughness). The second analysis was accomplished by correlating the vertical wheel/rail forces to both vertical track profile and rail roughness using signal processing principles and a function know as coherence. The third analysis was carried out by using the computer simulation software NUCARS to obtain the link between wheel/rail forces and the deterioration of the vertical track profile. The fourth analysis was achieved by combining the results obtained from the above three analyses to acquire the rate of track deterioration in terms of its relationship to varying train characteristics. The first analysis mentioned above quantified the relationship between the level of roughness of the track and rate at which that roughness deteriorated. An important outcome of this relationship is that there is a threshold of roughness below which track deterioration is minimal. The track maintenance planners can now use that threshold for cost effective targeting of tamping activities. The correlation study between track roughness and wheel/rail forces using the coherence function found, surprisingly, that the overall deterioration of the track roughness, in the absence of frequencies of forces above 30 Hz, is due to the so-called quasi-static lower frequency oscillations of dynamic forces. This conclusion together with the relationship between vehicle characteristics and track forces, established in the analyses above, has significant implications for the design of wagon bogies and for charges track owners might levy on trains using their tracks. This research is part of a larger Rail CRC project 11/4 called 'Enhancing the Optimisation of Maintenance/Renewal' being carried out in the School of Urban Development in Queensland University of Technology.
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White, Darris L. "Statistical Characterization of Vehicle and Track Interaction Using Rail Vehicle Response and Track Geometry Measurements." Thesis, Virginia Tech, 1998. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/36835.
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This study evaluates the dynamic interaction between rail vehicles and the track on which they travel. The measurements were analyzed in the time and frequency domain. The effects of external parameters such as the vehicle design, subgrade stiffness, and degree of curvature were analyzed and compared for both the vehicle response and the track geometry data.
This study was conducted in close cooperation with the Transportation Technology Center, Inc. (TTCI) in Pueblo, Colorado. The track and vehicle response data was collected on the High Tonnage Loop at TTCI over a span of approximately ten years. For the purpose of this study, TTCI provided this data to the Advanced Vehicle Dynamics Laboratories (AVDL) at Virginia Tech.
The analysis of the data was first completed for the vehicle response and track geometry measurements separately. In this manner, the effects of the subgrade stiffness, the degree of curvature, and the vehicle design could be evaluated for each of the measurements. The analysis of the track and rail vehicle response was successfully completed, and the results from this analysis are presented in the following chapters.
The analysis showed that the subgrade stiffness had a significant effect on the vertical wheel loads, the track crosslevel, and the track gauge. For an increase in the degree of curvature, the variation of the crosslevel increased. The dynamic response of the vertical and lateral wheel loads showed a significant dependence on the alignment of the rails. Improvements for future studies of the interaction between the track and rail vehicles have been recommended.Master of Science
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Mezacasa, Nathan. "Metodologia para simulação dinâmica e otimização de veículos de esteira." reponame:Biblioteca Digital de Teses e Dissertações da UFRGS, 2018. http://hdl.handle.net/10183/179570.
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Devido as severas condições as quais veículos militares blindados de esteira são submetidos, o desenvolvimento de modelos que representam o comportamento dinâmico destes veículos torna-se imprescindível, para além da possibilidade de avaliação das intensidades das vibrações ocorrendo na cabine, ser possível criar veículos que tenham vantagens na mobilidade, fator esse que engloba tanto a transposição de obstáculos, como a rodagem em condições menos severas, e por fim, no tempo e na exatidão dos disparos, afetada pelas respostas dinâmicas que o veículo fornece. Para ser possível encontrar um veículo que desempenhe tais condições de forma satisfatória, apenas modelos que representem adequadamente as suas propriedades, apresentando respostas das acelerações e deslocamentos, não são suficientes. O objetivo deste trabalho é o desenvolvimento de um modelo numérico que tenha a capacidade de simular as condições dinâmicas extremas as quais um veículo de esteira é induzido, e também, otimizar o modelo, com a finalidade de encontrar molas e amortecedores capazes de proporcionar respostas adequadas às funções custo desenvolvidas. Estas funções objetivo são definidas como a combinação linear da aceleração e deslocamento, verticais e rotacionais, em conjunto de restrições impostas, objetivando encontrar uma combinação ideal para mobilidade, tempo e exatidão nos disparos e por fim, molas e amortecedores adequados as condições de logística Para proposta deste estudo, um modelo matemático 2D e um 3D, de um veículo de esteira, foi desenvolvido. O modelo possibilita a avaliação dos graus de liberdade de deslocamento vertical das massas não suspensas e do deslocamento vertical, arfagem e rolagem da massa suspensa. Os efeitos da esteira são modelados como molas verticais lineares exercendo uma força de restauração para alinhar as rodas de rodagem, proporcional ao deslocamento relativo entre essas rodas. A otimização é feita através de ferramentas numéricas presentes no software comercial Simulink, sendo necessário o desenvolvimento das funções custo que caracterizem os objetivos ideais para cada tipo de análise. Os resultados de simulações numéricas sob a forma de cursos de deslocamento de pontos característicos do casco e deslocamentos dos eixos de rodas em um sistema de coordenadas de referência assumido, também estão incluídos, bem como as quantidades de valor RMS de cada uma das respostas, comparando um veículo padrão, com o veículo com a suspensão otimizada.Due to the severe conditions in which armored military vehicles are submitted, the development of models that represent the dynamic behavior of these vehicles becomes essential, besides the possibility of evaluating the vibration intensities occurring in the cabin, to be possible to create vehicles that have mobility a factor that encompasses both the transposition of obstacles, and the shooting in less severe conditions, and finally, in the time and accuracy of the shots, affected by the dynamic responses that the vehicle provides. In order to be able to find a vehicle that fulfills these conditions satisfactorily, only models that adequately represent its properties, presenting responses of the accelerations and displacements, are not enough. The objective of this work is the development of a numerical model that has the ability to simulate extreme dynamic conditions such as a tracked vehicle is induced, and also to optimize the model with the purpose of finding springs and shock absorbers capable of adequate alternative answers cost functions developed. These are the goals defined as a linear combination of acceleration and displacement, vertical and rotational, together imposed constraints, aiming to find an ideal combination for mobility, time and precision in the shots and, finally, springs and dampers suitable as logistics conditions To propose this study, a 2D and 3D mathematical model of a tracked vehicle were developed. The model allows the evaluation of the degrees of freedom of vertical displacement of the non-suspended masses and the vertical displacement, pitch and roll of the suspended mass. The effects of the track are modeled as linear vertical springs exerting a restoring force to align the road wheels, proportional to the relative displacement between these wheels. The optimization is done through numerical tools present in Simulink software, and it is necessary to develop cost functions that characterize the ideal objectives for each type of analysis. The results of numerical simulations in the form of displacement courses of characteristic hull points and wheel axle displacements in an assumed reference coordinate system are also included, as well as the RMS value quantities of each of the responses, comparing a standard vehicle with the optimized suspension.
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Keese, William. "A Remotely Operated Multi-Tracked Vehicle for Subterranean Exploration of Gopher Tortoise Burrows." Scholar Commons, 2011. http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd/3179.
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The gopher tortoise is a land tortoise living in the southeastern United States. It is a species in decline and is listed as threatened or endangered in six different states. The gopher (as commonly referred) digs burrows that it uses for many reasons and spends most of its time underground. Problems occur when trying to estimate a population because a gopher tortoise digs more than one burrow. This thesis demonstrates an innovative way to survey and investigate a gopher tortoise burrow hole by using a multi-tracked remotely operated vehicle. The vehicle carried two cameras (fore and aft) and was equipped with a microphone and LED illumination. It has tracks on four sides to increase its propulsion ratio. Its performance was evaluated in a sand pit where parameters such as incline could be controlled, and in an actual tortoise burrow. This research was done in conjunction with the Hillsborough County Parks and Recreation Department.
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Sebastian, Bijo. "Traversability Estimation Techniques for Improved Navigation of Tracked Mobile Robots." Diss., Virginia Tech, 2019. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/94629.
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The focus of this dissertation is to improve autonomous navigation in unstructured terrain conditions, with specific application to unmanned casualty extraction in disaster scenarios. Robotic systems are being widely employed for search and rescue applications, especially in disaster scenarios. But a majority of these are focused solely on the search aspect of the problem. This dissertation proposes a conceptual design of a Semi-Autonomous Victim Extraction Robot (SAVER) capable of safe and effective unmanned casualty extraction, thereby reducing the risk to the lives of first responders. In addition, the proposed design addresses the limitations of existing state-of-the-art rescue robots specifically in the aspect of head and neck stabilization as well as fast and safe evacuation.
One of the primary capabilities needed for effective casualty extraction is reliable navigation in unstructured terrain conditions. Autonomous navigation in unstructured terrain, particularly for systems with tracked locomotion mode involves unique challenges in path planning and trajectory tracking. The dynamics of robot-terrain interaction, along with additional factors such as slip experienced by the vehicle, slope of the terrain, and actuator limitations of the robotic system, need to be taken into consideration. To realize these capabilities, this dissertation proposes a hybrid navigation architecture that employs a physics engine to perform fast and accurate state expansion inside a graph-based planner.
Tracked skid-steer systems experience significant slip, especially while turning. This greatly affects the trajectory tracking accuracy of the robot. In order to enable efficient trajectory tracking in varying terrain conditions, this dissertation proposes the use of an active disturbance rejection controller. The proposed controller is capable of estimating and counter acting the effects of slip in real-time to improve trajectory tracking. As an extension of the above application, this dissertation also proposes the use of support vector machine architecture to perform terrain identification, solely based on the estimated slip parameters.
Combining all of the above techniques, an overall architecture is proposed to assist and inform tele-operation of tracked robotic systems in unstructured terrain conditions. All of the above proposed techniques have been validated through simulations and experiments in indoor and simple outdoor terrain conditions.Doctor of Philosophy
This dissertation explores ways to improve autonomous navigation in unstructured terrain conditions, with specific applications to unmanned casualty extraction in disaster scenarios. Search and rescue applications often put the lives of first responders at risk. Using robotic systems for human rescue in disaster scenarios can keep first responders out of danger. To enable safe robotic casualty extraction, this dissertation proposes a novel rescue robot design concept named SAVER. The proposed design concept consists of several subsystems including a declining stretcher bed, head and neck support system, and robotic arms that conceptually enable safe casualty manipulation and extraction based on high-level commands issued by a remote operator. In order to enable autonomous navigation of the proposed conceptual system in challenging outdoor terrain conditions, this dissertation proposes improvements in planning, trajectory tracking control and terrain estimation. The proposed techniques are able to take into account the dynamic effects of robot-terrain interaction including slip experienced by the vehicle, slope of the terrain and actuator limitations. The proposed techniques have been validated through simulations and experiments in indoor and simple outdoor terrain conditions. The applicability of the above techniques in improving tele-operation of rescue robotic systems in unstructured terrain is also discussed at the end of this dissertation.
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Frydrýšek, Jan. "Simulační modely vozidel." Master's thesis, Vysoké učení technické v Brně. Fakulta elektrotechniky a komunikačních technologií, 2009. http://www.nusl.cz/ntk/nusl-218012.
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This thesis deals with simulation vehicle models for lateral control. It surveys step by step to models of tire, truck and control. At the end are showed influences of model parameters to vehicles dynamics.
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Hallbeck, Viktor. "System modelling and evaluation of main battle tank fire precision." Thesis, KTH, Fordonsdynamik, 2021. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-302278.
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This master thesis describes a study of the main battle tank dynamics in order to investigate the fire precision when a tank is driving in terrain. A model has been developed to simulate the dynamic interaction between the tank's hull and the ground irregularity in MATLAB and SIMULINK through the modelling of the tank's dynamics. Two different models of suspension system have been analysed. One linear model and one hydro-pneumatic model. Further the contribution from the cannon's recoil has been modelled to investigate its contribution to the dynamics of the vehicle. The models developed are on system level and is to be implemented in a larger model. Therefore are the models simplified and the thesis investigates to what degree of simplification the models will accurately predict the movement of the tank.Denna examensarbete beskriver en studie på stridsvagnsdynamik för att undersöka precision av målträff när stridsvagnen framförs i terräng. En modell har utvecklats för att simulera hur stridsvagnar påverkas av underlagets variation i MATLAB och SIMULINK genom att modellera stridsvagnens dynamik. Två olika former av stötdämpare har undersökts, en linjär modell samt en hydro-pneumatisk modell. Även bidraget från kanonen's avfyrning har modellerats för att se hur rekylens bidrag påverkar rörelsen av stridsvagnen. Målet med studien var att ta fram en så förenklad modell som möjligt. Flera modeller har därför utvecklats för att jämföra förenklingsgraden.
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Rose, Michael Scott. "Design of a Helicopter Deployable Ground Robotic System for Hazardous Environments." Thesis, Virginia Tech, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/31150.
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The use of robotics in hazardous environments is becoming more common, where autonomy can handle the dull, dirty and dangerous jobs that humans have previously supported. This thesis focuses on the design of a helicopter deployable unmanned ground vehicle for use in hazardous environments, and presents the benefits of heterogeneous unmanned vehicle teams for operation in beyond line-of-site hazardous environments.
The design of a ground robot that is capable of being flown on the undercarriage of a Yamaha RMAX unmanned air vehicle is presented. The robot is size, weight, and power limited and must be capable of traversing rough, unstructured terrain. The results of testing show that the design criteria for size, weight, and mobility are met. A path planning algorithm is developed using the A* search algorithm for the planning of optimal paths through rough terrain. The algorithm makes use of a vehicle/terrain interaction model to compute the cost of path traversal. In the CONOPS, the terrain model is generated real-time during a mission through the use of a stereovision system carried on the helicopter, which station-keeps above the ground robot. The algorithm simulates the robot on the terrain and presents the best feasible path to the operator to aid in teleoperated robot navigation. Simulations of the planning algorithm provided feasible paths over a rough terrain environment.
A user study was conducted that evaluates the abilities of both mono- and stereo-vision systems in providing the teleoperator with adequate situational awareness with the intent of proving that stereovision data is more effective at aiding the user in making timely navigation decisions. The results of the study showed that the helicopter-mounted stereovision system was more efficient than the monovision system with respect to navigation time, the number of invalid moves, and total moves required for navigation of a simulated rough terrain environment.
Master of Science
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Saidane, Chiheb. "Decision support system for the management of an Army's tracked and wheeled vehicle fleet." Thesis, Monterey, Calif. : Naval Postgraduate School, 2007. http://bosun.nps.edu/uhtbin/hyperion.exe/07Mar%5FSaidane.pdf.
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Thesis (M.S. in Computer Science)--Naval Postgraduate School, March 2007.Thesis Advisor(s): Man-Tak Shing, Arijit Das. "March 2007." Includes bibliographical references (p.85-86). Also available in print.
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Wang, Xin. "Computational aeroacoustic study of aircraft slat tracks and cut-outs." Thesis, University of Southampton, 2013. https://eprints.soton.ac.uk/372765/.
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As one of the major contributors to aircraft noise, the noise generated by high-lift devices has been explored for many years. However, the noise related to the slat track system, which includes all the extrusive components connecting the slat and the main element, is still generally studied through experimentation due to the complex geometry. In this project, the aerodynamics and aeroacoustics of the slat track and cut-out, especially the main element cut-out, were investigated through numerical simulations for the first time. Two methods were employed in this work. Noise propagation is first studied via a compact source model to evaluate the contribution of each source individually and to investigate the influence of the slat track system on the noise propagation in the slat region. The APE-IV system was employed but modified by using a more accurate expression of enthalpy perturbation to calculate the acoustic fields. The results show that both the slat track system and the background flow modify the sound propagation path. The energy radiated towards the ground is increased due to the interaction of sound waves with the slat track system and the background flow. Detached eddy simulations were run to investigate the mechanisms of the slat track and cut-out noise generation. Major noise sources in the slat cove region are identified and a noise generation feedback loop is proposed. The results show that the increment of noise levels due to the existence of the slat track system is two-fold. The slat track and the cut-out generate noise individually and they also amplify the noise generated within the slat region when the sound waves propagate though the slat cove area and interact with the slat track and cut-out. The dominant frequencies of the spectrum are seen to shift towards the high frequencies due to these added on components. In this work, two kinds of possible noise attenuation approaches were proposed and studied. Geometries based on replacing the sharp cut-out on the main element leading edge with an edge-rounded or a sealed cut-out have been proved to be able to reduce the cut-out noise significantly. Application of acoustic bulk absorbing material can also attenuate the cut-out noise efficiently for a certain range of frequencies.
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Chaar, Nizar. "Wheelset Structural Flexibility and Track Flexibility in Vehicle-Track Dynamic Interaction." Doctoral thesis, Stockholm : Farkost och flyg, Kungliga Tekniska högskolan, 2007. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-4345.
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Agardt, Erik, and Markus Löfgren. "Pilot Study of Systems to Drive Autonomous Vehicles on Test Tracks." Thesis, Linköping University, Department of Electrical Engineering, 2008. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:liu:diva-12217.
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This Master’s thesis is a pilot study that investigates different systems to drive autonomous and non-autonomous vehicles simultaneously on test tracks. The thesis includes studies of communication, positioning, collision avoidance, and techniques for surveillance of vehicles which are suitable for implementation. The investigation results in a suggested system outline.
Differential GPS combined with laser scanner vision is used for vehicle state estimation (position, heading, velocity, etc.). The state information is transmitted with IEEE 802.11 to all surrounding vehicles and surveillance center. With this information a Kalman prediction of the future position for all vehicles can be estimated and used for collision avoidance.
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Tunna, John. "Fatigue design of railway vehicles for track induced random forces." Thesis, Open University, 1990. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.278285.
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Hunt, Geoffrey A. "Dynamic analysis of railway vehicle/track interaction forces." Thesis, Loughborough University, 1986. https://dspace.lboro.ac.uk/2134/7492.
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Methods of predicting the dynamic forces are developed for the cases of vehicles negotiating vertical and lateral track irregularities. The bounds of validity of various models of the track are evaluated, from single degree of freedom, lumped parameter models to the case of a two layered beam on elastic foundation with a moving dynamic load. For the case of the lateral response of a vehicle negotiating a track switch, a finite element model of the track is also developed. The vehicle model developed for-the vertical case contains all the rigid body modes of a four axle vehicle for which primary and secondary suspension can be included with viscous or friction suspension damping. Solution of the vehicle/track interaction problem for these non-linear models is obtained by numerical integration, vehicle and track being connected by the non-linear wheel/rail contact stiffness. The most significant forces are shown to arise from the interaction of the unsprung mass and track resilience, with the vehicle modes also making a significant contribution, particularly in friction damped cases. For the lateral case use is made of an existing model of transient vehicle behaviour containing the wheel/rail contact non-linearities, to which track resilience is added in order to predict the track forces. The model is used to predict the forces which would be anticipated at discrete lateral irregularities such as those to be found at track switches. Once again the interaction with the track introduces modes of vibration which are significant in terms of wheel/rail forces. Comparison is made with experimental results obtained from full scale tests in the field. In one experiment the vertical track forces due to a range of vehicles negotiating a series of dipped welds in the track were measured, and in a second the lateral forces were recorded at the site of an artificially introduced lateral kink. A particular application of the results is in the prediction of the rate of deterioration of vertical and lateral geometry due to dynamic forces. This is to offer an improved understanding of the deterioration mechanism in order to influence the future design of vehicles and track to reduce maintenance costs.
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WILKENS, J. T. "Vehicle Track Sensing Based on Radio Tomographic Imaging." Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, 2016. http://repositorio.ufes.br/handle/10/9672.
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Previous issue date: 2016-03-04O aumento da quantidade de veículos nas estradas faz com que engarrafamentos representam um problema global crescente. Monitoramento do tráfego é tarefa crucial para o melhoramento do fluxo de tráfego. O foco desta dissertação de Mestrado está na proposta e no desenvolvimento de uma metodologia para a estimativa em tempo real de ocupação e velocidade de um ou dois veículos em um único segmento de pista, trafegando à velocidades que variam entre 10 km/h e 50 km/h, usando uma rede de tomografia de rádio por imagem RTI (Radio Tomographic Imaging). RTI é uma tecnologia emergente e consiste de uma rede de sensores sem fio que produz imagens da mudançaa no campo eletromagnético de uma área monitorada usando potência do sinal recebido RSS (Received Signal Strength). Isso permite o rastreamento de objetos tais como pessoas e carros que não contêm dispositivos de transcepção. A proposta é a primeira a apresentar uma rede RTI que é dividida em várias sub-redes para alcançar uma frequência de varredura de rede suficientemente rápida para evitar a desfocagem nas imagens capturadas por veículos que andam a velocidades acima dos 50 km/h. Sugere-se nesta proposta um novo método de cálculo da matriz de peso, uma nova configuração de espaçamento de nó e um novo método de detecção de veículos. A principal contribuição deste trabalho é estimular a pesquisa sobre a possibilidade de usar redes RTI como sendo parte de um sistema de transporte inteligente em um ambiente de cidades inteligentes. Esta dissertação apresenta também um novo modelo de simulação relativamente completo para o sistema RTI proposto. Este modelo gera medições RSS baseado no protocolo IEEE 802.15.4 para a comunicação ZigBee, que são processadas utilizando técnicas RTI comumente utilizadas na literatura. O modelo permite a especificação de uma rede RTI a partir do zero, incluindo posições de nó, tamanho e geometria da rede, sendo que o processamento de medição de RSS pode utilizar qualquer técnica desenvolvida. Os resultados das simulações, obtidos pós a aplicação do sistema RTI proposto para o modelo de simulação validado, indicam que é possível detectar um ou dois carros populares simultaneamente. Usando técnicas que reduzem a variância do RSS devido aos efeitos múltiplos percursos, o desempenho da detecção de veículos apresentou acurácia entre 95% e 100%.
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Pawlowski, Daniel F. "Tracking Dynamic Obstacles in a Structured Urban Environment and Subsequent Decision Making for an Autonomous Ground Vehicle." Case Western Reserve University School of Graduate Studies / OhioLINK, 2008. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=case1213804587.
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Leiviskä, Albin. "Load generation on a CV90 track system using multibody dynamics." Thesis, Umeå universitet, Institutionen för fysik, 2021. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-187750.
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Gower, Daniel W. "Speech intelligibility in tracked vehicle and pink noise under active noise reduction and passive attenuation communications headsets /." This resource online, 1992. http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-06062008-170444/.
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Tegeder, Troy. "Development of an efficient solar powered unmanned aerial vehicle with an onboard solar tracker /." Diss., CLICK HERE for online access, 2007. http://contentdm.lib.byu.edu/ETD/image/etd1723.pdf.
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Tegeder, Troy Dixon. "Development of an Efficient Solar Powered Unmanned Aerial Vehicle with an Onboard Solar Tracker." BYU ScholarsArchive, 2007. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/856.
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Methods were developed for the design of a solar powered UAV capable of tracking the sun to achieve maximum solar energy capture. A single-axis solar tracking system was designed and constructed. This system autonomously rotated an onboard solar panel to find the angle of maximum solar irradiance while the UAV was airborne. A microcontroller was programmed and implemented to control the solar tracking system. A solar panel and an efficient airframe capable of housing the solar tracking system was designed and constructed. Each of these subsystems was tested individually with either ground or flight tests. Ultimately, the final assembled system was tested. These tests were used to determine where and when a UAV with an onboard solar tracker would be advantageous over a conventional solar powered UAV with PV cells statically fixed to its wings. The final UAV had a wingspan of 3.2 meters, a length of 2.6 meters, and weighed 4.1 kilograms. Its solar panel provided a maximum power output of 37.7 watts. The predicted system performance, airframe drag, and system power requirements were validated with a battery powered flight test. The UAV's analytical model predicted the drag to be 41% lower than the actual drag found from flight testing. Full system functionality was verified with a solar powered flight test. The results and analysis of the system tests are presented in this thesis. The net energy increase from the solar tracking UAV over a conventional solar powered UAV for the duration of a day is dependent on season and geographical location. The solar tracking UAV that was developed was found to have a maximum net energy gain of 34.5% over a conventional solar powered version of the UAV. The minimum net energy gain of the solar tracking UAV was found to be 0.8%.
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Rådman, Marcus. "Implementation and testing of a path tracker for a full-scale Unmanned Ground Vehicle." Thesis, Luleå tekniska universitet, Institutionen för system- och rymdteknik, 2019. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:ltu:diva-73079.
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This project is the implementation and testing of a path tracker for a car-sized Unmanned Ground Vehicle. The vehicle, a Toyota Land Cruiser, was provided by SSC and hadpreviously been modified for remote operation. The developed path tracker uses a "follow the carrot" algorithm and has been writtenin C using the Robot Operating Software (ROS) framework and has been integrated intothe vehicles existing ROS powered software. During the implementation, the Gazebo rigid body simulator was used to simulate a simplified vehicle. Integration with the real sensors was performed using a small-scalecar, both indoors with the aid of a Vicon motion capture system and outdoors utilizingonly sensors available to the full-size car. The small-scale tests showed promise, howeverwhen full-scale field tests were performed the results showed some problems and reasonsfor these are discussed.
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Wrobel, Shannon Alicia. "Multi-Function LIDAR Sensors for Non-Contact Speed and Track Geometry Measurement in Rail Vehicles." Thesis, Virginia Tech, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/23134.
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A Doppler LIght Detection And Ranging (LIDAR or lidar) system is studied for the application of measuring train ground speed in a non-contacting manner, as an alternative to the current train speed measurement devices such as wheel-mounted tachometers or encoders. The ability to accurately measure train speed and distance is a critical part of monitoring track geometry conditions.Wheel-mounted tachometer speed measurements often fluctuate due to wheel vibrations, change in wheel diameter, or wheel slip affecting the measurement accuracy. Frequent calibrations are needed to account for changes in wheel diameter due to wear. Additionally, the high levels of vibrations at the wheel can cause occasional mechanical failure of the encoder.
This thesis examines LIDAR as a non-contact train speed measurement device as a direct retrofit for wheel-mounted encoders. LIDAR uses Doppler technology to accurately measure train speed. The LIDAR system consists of two laser sensors and can be installed on either the car body or the truck on the underside of the train. The sensors measure the true ground speed of each rail, from which the track curvature can then be assessed based on the difference between the right and left rail speeds. The LIDAR train speed, distance, and curvature results are then evaluated against encoder readings and other conventional train measurement devices.
Various tests were performed, including field-testing onboard a track geometry railcar operated by Norfolk Southern for evaluating the efficacy, accuracy, and durability of the LIDAR system; and laboratory tests on a 40-foot rail panel for assessing the ability to obtain measurements at super low speeds.
The test results indicate that when compared with other conventional means used by the railroad industry, LIDAR is capable of accurately measuring train speed and distance from speeds as slow as 0.3 mph and up to 100 mph. Additionally, the curvature
measurements proved to be as accurate as Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs) that are commonly used in track geometry measurement railcars.
Master of Science
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Lönnbark, Gustav. "Characterization of Track Irregularities With respect to vehicle response." Thesis, KTH, Spårfordon, 2012. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-102039.
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In this thesis a study, investigating the correlation between vehicle/track forces and track irregularities, is presented. The aim is to see if the correlation increases, using the first and second order derivatives of the track irregularities instead of the amplitude of the irregularities themselves. Data from on track tests during the DynoTRAIN measurement campaign is used as input to a MatLab program. The program processes the data with filtering and calculation of the derivatives, as well as a meter-by-meter alignment of the parameters. A linear regression analysis is done and the results are presented in scatter diagrams along with their correlation coefficients. The results are inconclusive implying that there are more parameters affecting the results than the ones analyzed, suggesting multidimensional regression analysis to be used.
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Bezin, Yann. "An Integrated Flexible Track System Modelfor Railway Vehicle Dynamics." Thesis, Manchester Metropolitan University, 2008. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.502435.
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This thesis describes the development and validation of a versatile and Flexible Track System Model (FTSM) and its integration into a commercial railway vehicle dynamics software tool. The work was initiated to fill a gap in current disciplines and tools used to investigate problems relating to vehicle and railway track dynamics due to a lack of correlation between Finite Element (FE) and MuItibody System (MBS) based models. The. FTSM track model was validated against results from laboratory testing and compared with existing models. It was then used to study several aspects of the deterioration of ballasted track under the dynamic loading of passing vehicles at speeds, including consideration of the non-linear nature of the track support condition such as sleeper voiding and variable sleeper support stiffness. . The research contributes to the fundamental understanding of the vehicl~-track interaction forces and particularly to the relation that exists between wheel-rail contact forces and track forces. It shows that.in order to accurately predict track degradation forces, a detailed flexible track model is essential. The major differences in terms of wheel-rail contact condition and forces obtained from the conventional simplified track models and from the FTSM are also highlighted. The presence of higher frequency modes of vibration of the flexible track proves essential for those studies involving local and sudden track events. The model was also applied to the analysis and design development of innovative track structures that seem to offer several advantages with respect to conventional ballasted tracks, most importantly a more consistent or continuous support to the rail. This characteristic is shown to be essential for minimising the interactive cycle of dynamic interaction forces and track deformation leading to track settlement and deterioration.
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Frohling, Robert Desmond. "Deterioration of railway track due to dynamic vehicle loading and spatially varying track stiffness." Thesis, Pretoria : [s.n.], 1997. http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-01122009-160350.
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Robinson, Andreas. "Implementation and evaluation of a 3D tracker." Thesis, Linköpings universitet, Datorseende, 2014. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:liu:diva-111887.
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Many methods have been developed for visual tracking of generic objects. The vast majority of these assume the world is two-dimensional, either ignoring the third dimension or only dealing with it indirectly. This causes difficulties for the tracker when the target approaches or moves away from the camera, is occluded or moves out of the camera frame. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are increasingly used in civilian applications and some of these will undoubtedly carry tracking systems in the future. As they move around, these trackers will encounter both scale changes and occlusions. To improve the tracking performance in these cases, the third dimension should be taken into account. This thesis extends the capabilities of a 2D tracker to three dimensions, with the assumption that the target moves on a ground plane. The position of the tracker camera is established by matching the video it produces to a sparse point-cloud map built with off-the-shelf structure-from-motion software. A target is tracked with a generic 2D tracker and subsequently positioned on the ground. Should the target disappear from view, its motion on the ground is predicted. In combination, these simple techniques are shown to improve the robustness of a tracking system on a moving platform under target scale changes and occlusions.
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Gely, Pierre. "High frequency vehicle-track interactionsimulation : Coupling of an advanced track model with a multi-bodysystem." Thesis, KTH, Järnvägsteknik, 2014. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-159277.
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The forces caused by the high frequency vehicle-track interaction have a great impact on thetrack maintenance. They should be represented in vehicle-track models in order to predicttheir impact. As a result, a multi-body system (MBS) should be extended with an advancedtrack model. The MBS represents the vehicle and the wheel-rail contact with a great accuracy.The track will be modeled in two different ways: a moving track model and a continuous trackmodel which is a finite element modeling (FEM). The first one will be a lumped-mass model.The most advanced system will be the second one, which is a MBS-FEM representation andoffers a great precision to represent the high frequency dynamical properties. The system willbe used to simulate pertinent phenomena such as a wheelflats, corrugations and rail joint.Based on the literature and the measurements, the model is validated in a wider frequencyrange than the one currently used (0-20Hz). The results given by both models are close tothe literature and the measurement.
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Flodin, Jesper. "Investigate the track gauge widening on the Iron-ore line and suggest maintenance limits." Thesis, KTH, Spårfordon, 2020. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-280154.
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Iron ore export remains a major player in the Swedish economy to date, with 90% of all iron ore produced in Europe stemming from the relatively small northern country. A large amount of this ore is transported from the mines to harbours for world-wide freight on railways. On such railway is the SwedishIron-ore Line running from Kiruna to Riksgränsen, connecting to the Norwegian Ofoten line which continues to Narvik. The line has the highest permissible axle-load in Europe at 30 tonnes, which poses challenges in its own. Historically, damage on the high rail of curves have been problematic, butremedies introduced in the form of wear adapted rail profiles has brought light to a new issue. Lowrail spalling damage, caused by rolling contact fatigue (RCF) has been problematic on the line, as it reduces the life of the rails and increases maintenancecosts. It is believed that a major factor to this damage is the track gauge width. The current limit values for maintenance of the track gauge is set at 1450mm, a figure derived from empirical studies. It is therefore the wish of the infrastructure manager Trafikverket to investigate the effect the gaugewidth has on this RCF induced damage, in order to review current maintenance practices. By applying current state of the art in rail vehicle dynamics simulations and contact mechanics, the current maintenance limit has been investigated.The outcome of said investigation has yielded a foundation of support for the current maintenance limit, as it closely aligns with where damage is calculated to form at a significantly higher rate than at lower gauges.Malmexport utgör idag en av de största pelarna av Sveriges ekonomi och står ensamt för produktionen av 90% av all järnmalm som produceras i Europa. En stor del av denna malm transporteras från gruvorna till hamnar för vidare frakt på fartyg med hjälp utav järnvägar. En sådan järnväg är den Svenska Malmbanan som går mellan Kiruna och Riksgränsen, med direkt anslutning till norska Ofotenbanan som fortsätter till Narvik. Banan är den tyngsta i sitt slag i Europa med en största tillåten axellast på 30 ton, vilket innebär egna utmaningar. Rälskador på ytterrälen i kurvor har tidigare varit problematiska, men tidiga åtgärder i form av slitageanpassade rälprofiler har motverkat dessa, och istället skänkt uppmärksamhet åt ett annat problem. Ytsplittring på innerrälen i kurvor, orsakat av rullkontaktutmattning har varit problematiskt, då det reducerar rälens livslängd, och ökar underhållskostnaderna. En faktor som tros påverka dessa skador kraftigt är spårvidden. Den nuvarande spårviddsgränsen för banan är satt till 1450mm och är baserad på tidigare empiriska studier. Det är därför den svenska infrastrukturägaren, Trafikverkets, önskan att utreda effekten av spårvidden på rullkontaktutmattnings initierade skador. Genom att applicera den senaste kunskapen inom fordonsdynamiska simuleringar och kontaktmekanik, har den nuvarande underhållsgränsen utretts. Den nämnda utredning har resulterat i en grund som stöttar den nuvarande underhållsgränsen, då den nära överensstämmer med den plats där skadorna ökar mycket kraftigt i förhållande till smalare spårvidder.
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Shih, Jou-Yi. "Models for vehicle/track/ground interaction in the time domain." Thesis, University of Southampton, 2017. https://eprints.soton.ac.uk/412638/.
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Due to the demands of increasing population and environmental concerns, the high-speed train has become an important means of transportation in many countries. However, severe vibration induced by high-speed trains can occur when train speeds approach the speed of waves in the ground and track deflections can then become large. Consequently, the track and ground may no longer behave linearly. The aim of this work is to develop a three-dimensional model of vehicle/track/ground interaction in the time domain that can include the consideration of soil nonlinearity. A three-dimensional time-domain model of a coupled vehicle, track and ground has been developed in the finite element (FE) software ABAQUS. A new analysis approach has been adopted for modelling the moving vehicle without the need for a user-defined subroutine. The results from a track on a hemispherical ground model surrounded by infinite elements show good agreement with the results from a wavenumber finite element/boundary element method at lower speeds. However, significant differences are found for load speeds close to the critical speed for a homogeneous ground. This has been shown to be due to a relatively long transient in the numerical simulation that requires a considerable distance to achieve convergence to steady-state results. As a result, a very long model is required to derive the steady-state results. However, this becomes expensive because of the model geometry. Moreover, the results from the hemispherical model contain incorrect whole-body displacements due to the use of the infinite elements that make the ground model become unconstrained. Therefore, a cuboid model with a fixed boundary at the bottom is used for the further simulations to prevent these incorrect phenomena. Two different cuboid models, with or without the infinite elements at the sides, are compared. Finally, a wider cuboid model with fixed boundaries is used with appropriate Rayleigh damping which shows the best results and efficiency. A very long model, around 150~300 m, is required when the load speed is equal to the critical speed for a homogeneous soft ground. However, a shorter model is sufficient to obtain the steady-state results for a layered half-space. For a load moving close to the critical speed on a layered half-space, the track oscillates with a certain dominant frequency. An investigation is presented into the dependence of the oscillating frequency on the ground properties, taking account of the dispersive surface waves. Three different methods are used to investigate this oscillating frequency for a layered half-space ground and a parametric study is carried out. The oscillating frequency is found to vary with the speed of the moving load and tends to decrease when the load speed increases. It mainly depends on the shear wave speed of the upper soil layer and the depth of this layer. A formula is introduced to estimate this oscillating frequency in a layered half-space. Finally, soil nonlinearity is introduced in the FE model through a user-defined subroutine. The nonlinearity is specified in terms of the shear modulus reduction as a function of octahedral shear strain, based on data obtained from laboratory tests on soil samples. The model is applied to the soft soil site at Ledsgård in Sweden, from which extensive measurements are available from the late 1990s. It is shown that the use of a linear model based on the small-strain soil parameters leads to an underestimation of the track displacements when the train speed approaches the critical speed, whereas the nonlinear model gives improved agreement with the measurements. However, the results are quite sensitive to the choice of nonlinear model. In addition, an equivalent linear model is considered in which the equivalent soil modulus is derived from the laboratory curve of shear modulus reduction using an 'effective' shear strain. It is shown that the predictions are improved by using a value of 20% of the maximum strain as the effective strain rather than the value of 65% commonly used in earthquake studies.
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Gong, Cencen. "The interaction between railway vehicle dynamics and track lateral alignment." Thesis, University of Huddersfield, 2013. http://eprints.hud.ac.uk/id/eprint/19755/.
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This thesis examines the effect of vehicle dynamics on lateral deterioration of the track alignment. As rail traffic runs along a route, the forces imposed upon the track cause the ballast to settle, and hence the track geometry deteriorates. At a specified value of deterioration the track geometry needs to be restored by tamping or other methods. As the deterioration is mainly in the vertical direction, this aspect has been more widely studied and models have been developed to predict vertical track geometry deterioration. On the other hand, lateral track deterioration is not as well understood, and this thesis aims to fill the gap in this knowledge. However, the understanding of the lateral deterioration mechanisms becomes more important as speed and capacity increase. This thesis describes statistical studies of track lateral deterioration, as well as the development and validation of a vehicle-track lateral dynamic interaction model. This work is undertaken to contribute to the fundamental understanding of the mechanisms of track lateral deterioration, therefore making the effective control and reduction of the lateral deterioration achievable. The statistical analysis provides a better understanding of three aspects of track lateral irregularities, namely: the relationship between vertical and lateral irregularities, the relationship between track curvature and track lateral irregularity and the change in track lateral deterioration over time. The vertical and lateral track irregularity magnitudes are clearly correlated. The track quality in the vertical direction is generally worse than in the lateral direction, however the number of track sections with lateral quality significantly worse than the vertical is non-negligible. The lateral irregularities tend to be larger on curves. It is notable that less than ten percent of the track studied has a constant lateral deterioration due to frequent maintenance activities and bidirectional lateral dynamic forces. Unlike vertical settlement, lateral deterioration develops exponentially in both magnitude and wavelength, and the major influences are found from the irregularities with wavelength longer than 10 m. The change in track lateral irregularity with different curve radii and the lateral deterioration rate are described in separate exponential power functions due to the limitation of the available track data. The parameters for these empirical equations do not remain constant due to the change in track conditions. Current track lateral models mainly focus on lateral failures such as buckling and lateral sliding. The development of lateral track irregularities tends to be studied using representative values of net lateral forces and net L/V (Lateral/Vertical) load ratios. Unlike other track lateral deterioration models, the model developed in this thesis focuses on the development of lateral irregularities based on the dynamic interactions between the vehicles and the track system. This model makes it possible to carry out more integrations and analysis of the track lateral deterioration in a realistic dynamic simulation, using vehicle models, contact conditions, track initial irregularities, and traffic mix more close to the reality. The vehicle-track lateral dynamic interaction model was validated against track geometry data measured on the West Coast Mainline (WCML) in England. It has been found that the model gives a reasonably accurate prediction of the development of lateral track irregularities. However, it also tends to predict a short wavelength deterioration that is not seen in the actual track deterioration. Improvements to the model are suggested by either adding more factors or simplifying the model depending on specific target application. Enhancing the model by including more details, such as longitudinal forces, temperature effect, more layered track systems, uneven track bed conditions and more representative wheel-rail contact conditions etc., may help understand the reason of the additional short wavelength. A sensitivity analysis was performed in order to identify the critical factors that influence lateral track deterioration. The track damage caused by specific vehicles can be controlled by understanding different vehicle dynamics behaviour on a particular track section or route. Vehicles with simple suspension design and heavy axle loads tend to cause more lateral track damage. Within a certain speed range, there will be a critical speed that generates the largest lateral deterioration. Vehicles with different dynamic behaviours can generate a potential offset of the lateral deterioration, so it is possible to design the traffic mix to cancel out the peak deterioration. However, it may not be very practical to redesign the traffic mix due to different traffic requirements. Subsequently, actions can be taken to effectively reduce track lateral deterioration, such as optimise the suspension design, vehicle weight, the selection of an optimal operation speed, and enhance the traffic mix design. As the most important interface between vehicle and track, the wheel-rail contact condition has an extremely large influence on lateral deterioration. Wheel and rail profiles with different wear conditions can cause altered vehicle-track lateral dynamic interaction. It is found that increasingly worn wheel/rail profiles within an acceptable tolerance can effectively reduce the lateral deterioration. Lateral deterioration can also be reduced by increasing all the track stiffness values, damping values and the mass of rails and sleepers, or alternatively, by decreasing the sleeper spacing. The sleeper-ballast interface is found to play the most important role in lateral deterioration. The interfaces between the sleeper and ballast shoulder, crib and base determines the non-linear characteristic such as hysteresis and sliding features. Improving the strength of the sleeper-ballast interface can improve the elastic limits and hysteresis characteristics, hence reducing the lateral deterioration. The findings of the investigation indicate that the model provides in-depth knowledge of the mechanisms influencing lateral deterioration and provides effective solutions with consideration of vehicles, wheel-rail contact and the track system. Further work would include track data with sufficient information in order to develop a more comprehensive empirical model that describes the lateral deterioration, inclusion of more potentially influential factors such as: temperature, ground condition, traffic etc. The model can be improved by taking into account additional factors such as the influence of longitudinal forces from the wheels to the rails, different weather and temperatures, subgrade and ground conditions, etc. The reason for the high frequency noise in the deterioration prediction is not understood yet and it should be discussed in terms of more accurate vehicle simulation results and more comprehensive rail and wheel worn profiles measured on the target track and vehicles. Furthermore, the sleeper-ballast lateral characteristics are not well understood and the previous research in this area is quite limited. To improve on the present work it would be useful to carry out laboratory tests in order to capture more accurately track lateral stiffness and damping values as well as the comprehensive non-linear characteristic of track lateral residual resistance behaviour.