Experimental Research of the Effect of Track Chains Pre-static Tension on the Mobility of a Tracked Vehicle

The paper discovers the influence of the track chains pre-static tension on the flotation, traction properties and fuel efficiency of the tracked vehicle. Experimental researches were carried out on the tracked vehicle TTS 34016 “Vetluga-Arctic”, as well as on a modified version of the vehicle, included the tension mechanism with the elastic element. Experiments showed that for this vehicle the best flotation and motion-stability of the track are provided with a pre-static tension of 1.5 kN. The average acceleration time to 40 km·h-1 decreased by 2 s; the maximum speed increased by 3 km·h-1. Fuel consumption per 100 kilometers decreased by 3.5 liters.