Pneumatic Caterpillar Mover for a Light Transport Vehicle

Abstract

The article discusses the features of construction, design, operation of the mover of a light vehicle with a pneumatic caterpillar track. Unlike multi-cavity pneumatic caterpillar tracks, in the proposed design the number of pneumatic segments is minimized, which can make it possible to even out the diagram of normal reactions on the supporting surface of the vehicle and increase the mobility of the chassis on soils with a weak surface layer and on snow - in conditions typical primarily for regions of the Far North, Arctic and Antarctic. The proposed design of the mover allows for operational repair in the field. The advantages of the proposed design is to reduce the destructive effect on the ground and increase the maneuverability of the vehicle on a weak bearing base, however, the mass and the cost of the mover increase, a slight decrease in energy efficiency and reliability is also expected, especially during systematic operation on hard ground. The relevance of the study is determined by the integrated interest in the development of the territories of the northern regions of the Russian Federation, as well as by the negative experience gained as a result of the operation of tracked carriers with the traditional chassis design in the tundra and forest-tundra regions. The article proposes a method for determining the main structural parameters of the propulsion device, analyzes its operational properties, makes recommendations for possible use. An example of calculation for a tracked vehicle of 3350 kg is given. The mover can be installed on mass-produced chassis of light-weight transport tracked vehicles when upgrading the chassis in the factory using components manufactured in the Russian Federation and technologies developed by the Russian industry.