Spreading out the load meant that the ground pressure was lower, and thus the vehicle was less likely to sink into soft mud or sand. Continuous treads had the advantage that they could support a vehicle’s weight over a much greater area than wheels.
Tank tracks, or continuous tracks as they’re more technically known, were developed initially for farm and logging applications, for heavy vehicles that needed to operate in soft terrain. The low ground pressure of tracks, thanks to their large contact patch, means they’re perfect for driving in soft terrain like sand without sinking in. Outside of this, the track system may also have one or more idler wheels used to keep the track taught, as well as return rollers to guide the track back around without touching the road wheels. The weight of the vehicle is carried through the road wheels and passed on to the tread, spreading out the load across a broader area. On the bottom of the vehicle are the road wheels, which ride on top of the track where it lies on the ground. The tracks are wrapped around one or more drive wheels, often cogged, which directly pull on the track. On tanks, the track or tread itself is usually made up of individual steel links that are connected together with hinges, though other machines may use rubber tracks instead. But by looking at a basic tank track design, we can understand the basic theory. Different trends have been followed over time, and designs for military use in combat differ from those used for low-speed construction machines, for example. There are a huge variety of designs, with differences depending on application. Let’s first look at how tank tracks work. It’s All About Ground Pressure The various parts of a tank’s propulsion system. Today, we’re exploring just what makes tracked vehicles so capable, as well as their weaknesses. Bulldozers, tanks and excavators all use treads, and manage to get around in difficult terrain without breaking a sweat.
When it comes to dominating offroad performance, many people’s first thought is of tracked vehicles.
0 kommentar(er)
