Efficiency analysis of a multiple axle vehicle with hydrostatic transmission overcoming obstacles

ABSTRACT

Transmission configurations in off-road vehicles with multiple driven axles can be a determining factor in the obstacle surmounting capacity and also in the vehicle efficiency. An off-road articulated vehicle with four driven axles, four bogies and two modules has been considered for the global hydrostatic transmission efficiency analysis and for the vehicle functional efficiency analysis. The power flow through the transmission system has been quantified from the combustion engine shaft to each axle of the wheels. It has been done for different the operating conditions and taking into account the wheel–terrain interaction and the transmission configuration, that could lead to a forced slippage of some of the wheels. Results show the influence of the different wheels’ requirements, the transmission configuration limitations and the considered control strategy on the global transmission and vehicle functional efficiencies.

KEYWORDS:

• Off-road
• vehicle
• hydrostatic
• transmission
• efficiency
• obstacle

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

ORCID

M. Comellas http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2464-5415

J. Pijuan http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9498-0673

M. Nogués http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6230-4857

J. Roca http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5875-8381

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Government of Catalonia [grant number 2014-SGR-123], University of Lleida [grant number UdL Impulse X10020].