Terramechanics and Off-Road Vehicle Engineering

This book will be of great interest to any professional engineer or automotive engineering student working on off-road vehicles. Reflecting the increase in off-road vehicle production and development—recreational, agricultural, construction, military—this book equips readers with all of the necessary knowledge to successfully design and model off-road vehicle systems, and provides a comprehensive introduction to terramechanics, the mechanics of vehicle/terrain interaction. The only book to cover the principles of off-road vehicle and terrain engineering, a rapidly developing sector that includes SUVs, tractors and agricultural vehicles, military vehicles, and construction equipment Covers the latest developments in the field, including the latest computer-aided methods employed in the development of new generation of high-mobility off-road vehicles in Europe, North America and Asia. Ideal for professional reference and course reference by students, with new detailed worked design examples, case studies, and accompanying problems and solutions.

Hardbound. The computer-aided methods presented in this book represent recent advances in the methodology for predicting and evaluating off-road vehicle performance. The mathematical models established for vehicle-terrain systems will enable the engineering practitioner to evaluate, on a rational basis, a wide range of options and to select an appropriate vehicle configuration for a given mission and environment. The models take into account all major design and operational parameters, as well as pertinent terrain characteristics.Applications of the computer-aided engineering methods to the parametric analysis of off-road vehicle design are demonstrated through examples.

This book will be of great interest to any professional engineer or automotive engineering student working on off-road vehicles. Reflecting the increase in off-road vehicle production and development--recreational, agricultural, construction, military--this book equips readers with all of the necessary knowledge to successfully design and model off-road vehicle systems, and provides a comprehensive introduction to terramechanics, the mechanics of vehicle/terrain interaction. The only book to cover the principles of off-road vehicle and terrain engineering, a rapidly developing sector that includes SUVs, tractors and agricultural vehicles, military vehicles, and construction equipment Covers the latest developments in the field, including the latest computer-aided methods employed in the development of new generation of high-mobility off-road vehicles in Europe, North America and Asia. Ideal for professional reference and course reference by students, with new detailed worked design examples, case studies, and accompanying problems and solutions.

Featuring contributions from leading experts, the Road and Off-Road Vehicle System Dynamics Handbook provides comprehensive, authoritative coverage of all the major issues involved in road vehicle dynamic behavior. While the focus is on automobiles, this book also highlights motorcycles, heavy commercial vehicles, and off-road vehicles.The authors

An updated edition of the classic reference on the dynamics of road and off-road vehicles As we enter a new millennium, the vehicle industry faces greater challenges than ever before as it strives to meet the increasing demand for safer, environmentally friendlier, more energy efficient, and lower emissions products. Theory of Ground Vehicles, Third Edition gives aspiring and practicing engineers a fundamental understanding of the critical factors affecting the performance, handling, and ride essential to the development and design of ground vehicles that meet these requirements. As in previous editions, this book focuses on applying engineering principles to the analysis of vehicle behavior. A large number of practical examples and problems are included throughout to help readers bridge the gap between theory and practice. Covering a wide range of topics concerning the dynamics of road and off-road vehicles, this Third Edition is filled with up-to-date information, including: * The Magic Formula for characterizing pneumatic tire behavior from test data for vehicle handling simulations * Computer-aided methods for performance and design evaluation of off-road vehicles, based on the author's own research * Updated data on road vehicle transmissions and operating fuel economy * Fundamentals of road vehicle stability control * Optimization of the performance of four-wheel-drive off-road vehicles and experimental substantiation, based on the author's own investigations * A new theory on skid-steering of tracked vehicles, developed by the author.

This book deals with the analysis of off-road vehicle dynamics from kinetics and kinematics perspectives and the performance of vehicle traversing over rough and irregular terrain. The authors consider the wheel performance, soil-tire interactions and their interface, tractive performance of the vehicle, ride comfort, stability over maneuvering, transient and steady state conditions of the vehicle traversing, modeling the aforementioned aspects and optimization from energetic and vehicle mobility perspectives. This book brings novel figures for the transient dynamics and original wheel terrain dynamics at on-the-go condition.

A concise reference that provides an overview of the design of high speed off-road vehicles High Speed Off-Road Vehicles is an excellent, in-depth review of vehicle performance in off-road conditions with a focus on key elements of the running gear systems of vehicles. In particular, elements such as suspension systems, wheels, tyres, and tracks are addressed in-depth. It is a well-written text that provides a pragmatic discussion of off-road vehicles from both a historical and analytical perspective. Some of the unique topics addressed in this book include link and flexible tracks, ride performance of tracked vehicles, and active and semi-active suspension systems for both armoured and unarmoured vehicles. The book provides spreadsheet-based analytic approaches to model these topic areas giving insight into steering, handling, and overall performance of both tracked and wheeled systems. The author further extends these analyses to soft soil scenarios and thoroughly addresses rollover situations. The text also provides some insight into more advanced articulated systems. High Speed Off-Road Vehicles: Suspensions, Tracks, Wheels and Dynamics provides valuable coverage of: Tracked and wheeled vehicles Suspension component design and characteristics, vehicle ride performance, link track component design and characteristics, flexible track, and testing of active suspension test vehicles General vehicle configurations for combat and logistic vehicles, suspension performance modelling and measurement, steering performance, and the effects of limited slip differentials on the soft soil traction and steering behavior of vehicles Written from a very practical perspective, and based on the author’s extensive experience, High Speed Off-Road Vehicles provides an excellent introduction to off-road vehicles and will be a helpful reference text for those practicing design and analysis of such systems.

The science and technology of materials in automotive engines provides an introductory text on the nature of the materials used in automotive engines. It focuses on reciprocating engines, both four and two stroke, with particular emphasis on their characteristics and the types of materials used in their construction. The book considers the engine in terms of each specific part: the cylinder, piston, camshaft, valves, crankshaft, connecting rod and catalytic converter. The materials used in automotive engines are required to fulfil a multitude of functions. It is a subtle balance between material properties, essential design and high performance characteristics. The science and technology of materials in automotive engines describes the metallurgy, chemical composition, manufacturing, heat treatment and surface modification of these materials. It also includes supplementary notes that support the core text. The book is essential reading for engineers and designers of engines, as well as lecturers and graduate students in the fields of automotive engineering, machine design and materials science looking for a concise, expert analysis of automotive materials. Provides a detailed introduction to the nature of materials used in automotive engines Essential reading for engineers, designers, lecturers and students in automotive engineering Written by a renowned expert in the field

The powertrain is at the heart of vehicle design; the engine – whether it is a conventional, hybrid or electric design – provides the motive power, which is then managed and controlled through the transmission and final drive components. The overall powertrain system therefore defines the dynamic performance and character of the vehicle. The design of the powertrain has conventionally been tackled by analyzing each of the subsystems individually and the individual components, for example, engine, transmission and driveline have received considerable attention in textbooks over the past decades. The key theme of this book is to take a systems approach – to look at the integration of the components so that the whole powertrain system meets the demands of overall energy efficiency and good drivability. Vehicle Powertrain Systems provides a thorough description and analysis of all the powertrain components and then treats them together so that the overall performance of the vehicle can be understood and calculated. The text is well supported by practical problems and worked examples. Extensive use is made of the MATLAB(R) software and many example programmes for vehicle calculations are provided in the text. Key features: Structured approach to explaining the fundamentals of powertrain engineering Integration of powertrain components into overall vehicle design Emphasis on practical vehicle design issues Extensive use of practical problems and worked examples Provision of MATLAB(R) programmes for the reader to use in vehicle performance calculations This comprehensive and integrated analysis of vehicle powertrain engineering provides an invaluable resource for undergraduate and postgraduate automotive engineering students and is a useful reference for practicing engineers in the vehicle industry

Featuring contributions from leading experts, the Road and Off-Road Vehicle System Dynamics Handbook provides comprehensive, authoritative coverage of all the major issues involved in road vehicle dynamic behavior. While the focus is on automobiles, this book also highlights motorcycles, heavy commercial vehicles, and off-road vehicles.The authors

In striving for optimal comfort and safety conditions in road vehicles, today’s electronically controlled components provide a range of new options. These are developed and tested using computer simulations in software in the loop or hardware in the loop environments—an advancement that requires the modern automotive engineer to be able to build basic simulation models, handle higher level models, and operate simulation tools effectively. Combining the fundamentals of vehicle dynamics with the basics of computer simulated modeling, Road Vehicle Dynamics: Fundamentals and Modeling Aspects draws on lecture notes from undergraduate and graduate courses given by the author, as well as industry seminars and symposiums, to provide practical insight on the subject. Requiring only a first course in dynamics and programming language as a prerequisite, this highly accessible book offers end-of-chapter exercises to reinforce concepts as well as programming examples and results using MATLAB®. The book uses SI-units throughout, and begins with an introduction and overview of units and quantities, terminology and definitions, multibody dynamics, and equations of motion. It then discusses the road, highlighting both deterministic and stochastic road models; tire handling including contact calculation, longitudinal and lateral forces, vertical axis torques, and measurement and modeling techniques; and drive train components and concepts such as transmission, clutch, and power source. Later chapters discuss suspension systems, including a dynamic model of rack-and-pinion steering as well as double-wishbone suspension systems; force elements such as springs, anti-roll bars, and hydro-mounts; and vehicle dynamics in vertical, longitudinal, and lateral directions using a simple model approach to examine the effects of nonlinear, dynamic, and active force elements. Highlighting useable knowledge, the book concludes with a three-dimensional vehicle model and typical results of standard driving maneuvers.

This Encyclopedia of Agrophysics will provide up-to-date information on the physical properties and processes affecting the quality of the environment and plant production. It will be a "first-up" volume which will nicely complement the recently published Encyclopedia of Soil Science, (November 2007) which was published in the same series. In a single authoritative volume a collection of about 250 informative articles and ca 400 glossary terms covering all aspects of agrophysics will be presented. The authors will be renowned specialists in various aspects in agrophysics from a wide variety of countries. Agrophysics is important both for research and practical use not only in agriculture, but also in areas like environmental science, land reclamation, food processing etc. Agrophysics is a relatively new interdisciplinary field closely related to Agrochemistry, Agrobiology, Agroclimatology and Agroecology. Nowadays it has been fully accepted as an agricultural and environmental discipline. As such this Encyclopedia volume will be an indispensable working tool for scientists and practitioners from different disciplines, like agriculture, soil science, geosciences, environmental science, geography, and engineering.

This book presents operational and practical issues of automotive mechatronics with special emphasis on the heterogeneous automotive vehicle systems approach, and is intended as a graduate text as well as a reference for scientists and engineers involved in the design of automotive mechatronic control systems. As the complexity of automotive vehicles increases, so does the dearth of high competence, multi-disciplined automotive scientists and engineers. This book provides a discussion into the type of mechatronic control systems found in modern vehicles and the skills required by automotive scientists and engineers working in this environment. Divided into two volumes and five parts, Automotive Mechatronics aims at improving automotive mechatronics education and emphasises the training of students’ experimental hands-on abilities, stimulating and promoting experience among high education institutes and produce more automotive mechatronics and automation engineers. The main subject that are treated are: VOLUME I: RBW or XBW unibody or chassis-motion mechatronic control hypersystems; DBW AWD propulsion mechatronic control systems; BBW AWB dispulsion mechatronic control systems; VOLUME II: SBW AWS diversion mechatronic control systems; ABW AWA suspension mechatronic control systems. This volume was developed for undergraduate and postgraduate students as well as for professionals involved in all disciplines related to the design or research and development of automotive vehicle dynamics, powertrains, brakes, steering, and shock absorbers (dampers). Basic knowledge of college mathematics, college physics, and knowledge of the functionality of automotive vehicle basic propulsion, dispulsion, conversion and suspension systems is required.

This book gathers the proceedings of the 15th IFToMM World Congress, which was held in Krakow, Poland, from June 30 to July 4, 2019. Having been organized every four years since 1965, the Congress represents the world’s largest scientific event on mechanism and machine science (MMS). The contributions cover an extremely diverse range of topics, including biomechanical engineering, computational kinematics, design methodologies, dynamics of machinery, multibody dynamics, gearing and transmissions, history of MMS, linkage and mechanical controls, robotics and mechatronics, micro-mechanisms, reliability of machines and mechanisms, rotor dynamics, standardization of terminology, sustainable energy systems, transportation machinery, tribology and vibration. Selected by means of a rigorous international peer-review process, they highlight numerous exciting advances and ideas that will spur novel research directions and foster new multidisciplinary collaborations.

This textbook offers a comprehensive review of tractor design fundamentals. Discussing more than hundred problems and including about six hundred international references, it offers a unique resource to advanced undergraduate and graduate students, researchers and also practical engineers, managers, test engineers, consultants and even old-timer fans. Tractors are the most important pieces of agricultural mechanization, hence a key factor of feeding the world. In order to address the educational needs of both less and more developed countries, the author included fundamentals of simple but proved designs for tractors with moderate technical levels, along with extensive information concerning modern, premium tractors. The broad technical content has been structured according to five technology levels, addressing all components. Relevant ISO standards are considered in all chapters. The book covers historical highlights, tractor project management (including cost management), traction mechanics, tires (including inflation control), belt ground drives, and ride dynamics. Further topics are: chassis design, diesel engines (with emission limits and installation instructions), all important types of transmissions, topics in machine element design, and human factors (health, safety, comfort). Moreover, the content covers tractor-implement management systems, in particular ISOBUS automation and hydraulic systems. Cumulative damage fundamentals and tractor load spectra are described and implemented for dimensioning and design verification. Fundamentals of energy efficiency are discussed for single tractor components and solutions to reduce the tractor CO2 footprint are suggested.

Every one of the many millions of cars manufactured annually worldwide uses shock absorbers, otherwise known as dampers. These form a vital part of the suspension system of any vehicle, essential for optimizing road holding, performance and safety. This, the second edition of the Shock Absorber Handbook (first edition published in 1999), remains the only English language book devoted to the subject. Comprehensive coverage of design, testing, installation and use of the damper has led to the book's acceptance as the authoritative text on the automotive applications of shock absorbers. In this second edition, the author presents a thorough revision of his book to bring it completely up to date. There are numerous detail improvements, and extensive new material has been added particularly on the many varieties of valve design in the conventional hydraulic damper, and on modern developments such as electrorheological and magnetorheological dampers. "The Shock Absorber Handbook, 2nd Edition" provides a thorough treatment of the issues surrounding the design and selection of shock absorbers. It is an invaluable handbook for those working in industry, as well as a principal reference text for students of mechanical and automotive engineering.

Technology/Engineering/Automotive Engineering for advancing ground vehicle mobility A standard text and reference for both the educational and professional communities, Theory of Ground Vehicles gives aspiring and practicing engineers a fundamental understanding of the critical factors affecting the performance, handling, and ride essential to the development and design of ground vehicles. In view of the growing concerns over environmental impact, energy efficiency, and safety, this new Fourth Edition has been revised and expanded to address these issues and other developments in the field. Retaining the contents and format of previous editions, the Fourth Edition introduces new material to reflect recent advances in ground transportation technology, including: * Computer-aided methods for design and performance evaluation of off-road vehicles and their practical applications * Emissions and fuel economy * Hybrid electric drives and fuel cells and their operating principles * Selection of vehicle configurations for off-road operations * Road vehicle stability control * ISO 2631-1:1997 and its applications to evaluating vehicle ride characteristics As in previous editions, this book focuses on applying engineering principles to the analysis of vehicle behavior. A large number of practical examples and problems are included throughout to help readers bridge the gap between theory and practice. With its broad coverage and pedagogical aids, Theory of Ground Vehicles, Fourth Edition remains the text of choice for students, engineers, and researchers wishing to master and apply basic theory to solve real-world, road and off-road vehicle mobility problems.

This book deals with the analysis of off-road vehicle dynamics from kinetics and kinematics perspectives and the performance of vehicle traversing over rough and irregular terrain. The authors consider the wheel performance, soil-tire interactions and their interface, tractive performance of the vehicle, ride comfort, stability over maneuvering, transient and steady state conditions of the vehicle traversing, modeling the aforementioned aspects and optimization from energetic and vehicle mobility perspectives. This book brings novel figures for the transient dynamics and original wheel terrain dynamics at on-the-go condition.

The best-selling automotive technology book for students and professionals. Revised and updated throughout to match C&G and IMI awards (4000 series) this book is the most comprehensive text for the FE market. It covers the needs of C&G 4001 and all of the underpinning knowledge required for motor vehicle engineering NVQs up to level 3. Copiously illustrated with over 1000 images, it is certain to remain a highly popular and valuable text for both students and practicing engineers. * Incomparable breadth and depth of coverage, over 1000 illustrations and Institute of the Motor Industry recommended: this is the core book for students of automotive engineering * Fully up to date with latest IMI and C&G 4000 series course requirements and provides all the underpinning knowledge required for NVQs to level 3 * New material covering latest development in electronics, alternative fuels, emissions and diesel systems