In this investigation, a computational finite element procedure for the deformation and stress analysis of the chain links of tracked vehicles is presented and used to examine the validity of using the static approach in the design and stress analysis of tracked vehicles. The contact forces resulting from the interaction between the track links and the vehicle components (sprocket, idler, and the rollers) as well as the interaction between the track links and the ground are evaluated using continuous force models, which are used to define generalized contact forces associated with the deformation degrees of freedom of the track links using the virtual work. The dynamic forces including the contact forces used in the finite element procedure developed in this investigation are evaluated using a 54-body vehicle model in which the track is modeled as a closed kinematic chain with 42 degrees of freedom. It is demonstrated in this study that the effect of the contact forces is more significant as compared to the effect of the rigid-body inertia forces of the chain links, and consequently, it is assumed that the deformation of the track links does not have a significant effect on the overall motion of the vehicle. In the finite element computational procedure used in this study, three-dimensional solid elements are used to discretize the links of the track chain. The numerical results presented in this investigation demonstrate that the use of the static analysis may lead to low estimates of the stresses of the track links as compared to those obtained by a dynamic stress analysis that takes into consideration the time history of the forces.

The objective of this study is to develop a design procedure that integrates multibody techniques, the finite element method, and experimental modal analysis techniques. Multibody techniques and the finite element method are first used to develop and numerically test the performance of the proposed design. Based on this computer analysis, a prototype model can be built. The vibration modal parameters of this model can be determined experimentally and used with general purpose multibody computer programs to evaluate the performance of the design. The obtained numerical results can be compared with the results obtained previously using multibody techniques and the finite element method. Adjustments can then be made in the finite element description in order to obtain a more realistic model that compares well with the experimental data. Using the more realistic finite element model, design modifications can be made in order to improve the performance of the design model. The use of the design methodology proposed in this paper is demonstrated using a flexible tracked vehicle model that consists of fifty four interconnected bodies. In this model, the nonlinear contact forces that describe the interaction between the track links and the vehicle components and the ground are developed. The nonlinear dynamic equations of the vehicle are developed in terms of a coupled set of reference and chassis elastic modal coordinates. The flexibility of the chassis of the tracked vehicle is described using the finite element method and experimentally identified modal parameters. The results obtained using the finite element model are compared with the results obtained using experimentally identified modal parameters.