The Influence of Nonlinear Stiffness of Novel Flexible Road Wheel on Ride Comfort of Tracked Vehicle Traversing Random Uneven Road

The linear wheel model is the most widely used in ride comfort analysis of tracked vehicles. However, as the speed of the vehicle increases and the application of new materials, and the road wheel becomes lighter and softer, its nonlinear characteristics become more and more obvious and can’t be ignored in vehicle dynamics simulation. This paper aims to study the effect of nonlinear stiffness of a novel flexible road wheel (FRW) with unique suspension bearing structure on the ride comfort of a tracked vehicle traversing random uneven road. The linear and nonlinear models of FRW were established by fitting the load-deflection data obtained from the static loading test of the physical prototype. The established linear and nonlinear models of FRW were added to a half-vehicle model of a tracked vehicle which has been proved by published test results. The ride comfort of the half-vehicle model of the tracked vehicle with linear and nonlinear models of FRW on random uneven road surface was studied in detail. The study results show that, compared with the linear wheel model, the nonlinear model has a tremendous influence on the dynamic response of the tracked vehicle, effectively suppressing the vibration, especially for the high frequency excitation. In addition, the nonlinear factor has a greater impact on the dynamic performance of the wheel than on the suspension and the body. The research results enrich the study of nonlinear dynamics of tracked vehicles, and provide reference for nonlinear modeling of other pneumatic tires and non-inflatable wheels.