Multibody System Dynamics 2: 277316, 1998.

1998 Kluwer Academic Publishers. Printed in the Netherlands.

277

Chain Vibration and Dynamic Stress in

Three-Dimensional Multibody Tracked Vehicles
M. CAMPANELLI and A.A. SHABANA
Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, 2039 Engineering
Research Facility, 842 West Taylor Street, Chicago, IL 60607-7022, U.S.A.

J.H. CHOI
1-2-4, Agency for Defense Development, P.O. Box 351 Yuseong, Taejon, Korea 305-600
(Received: 20 November 1997; accepted in revised form: 9 June 1998)
Abstract. A three-dimensional computational finite element procedure for the vibration and dynamic stress analysis of the track link chains of off-road vehicles is presented in this paper. The
numerical procedure developed in this investigation integrates classical constrained multibody dynamics methods with finite element capabilities. The nonlinear equations of motion of the threedimensional tracked vehicle model in which the track links are considered as flexible bodies, are
obtained using the floating frame of reference formulation. Three-dimensional contact force models
are used to describe the interaction of the track chain links with the vehicle components and the
ground. The dynamic equations of motion are first presented in terms of a coupled set of reference
and elastic coordinates of the track links. Assuming that the structural flexibility of the track links
does not have a significant effect on their overall rigid body motion as well as the vehicle dynamics,
a partially linearized set of differential equations of motion of the track links is obtained. The equations associated with the rigid body motion are used to predict the generalized contact, inertia, and
constraint forces associated with the deformation degrees of freedom of the track links. These forces
are introduced to the track link flexibility equations which are used to calculate the deformations
of the links resulting from the vehicle motion. A detailed three-dimensional finite element model
of the track link is developed and utilized to predict the natural frequencies and mode shapes. The
terms that represent the rigid body inertia, centrifugal and Coriolis forces in the equations of motion
associated with the elastic coordinates of the track link are described in detail. A computational
procedure for determining the generalized constraint forces associated with the elastic coordinates
of the deformable chain links is presented. The finite element model is then used to determine the
deformations of the track links resulting from the contact, inertia, and constraint forces. The results of
the dynamic stress analysis of the track links are presented and the differences between these results
and the results obtained by using the static stress analysis are demonstrated.
Key words: tracked vehicle dynamics, dynamic stress analysis, flexible multibody equations of motion, floating frame of reference, linear theory of elasto-dynamics, three-dimensional finite element
analysis, velocity transformation technique, flexible system joint reaction forces.

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1. Introduction
In the design of tracked vehicles such as construction machines and military armored vehicles, the method of static analysis has been primarily used to predict
the stresses of the links of the track chains. Because of the high impulsive contact forces that result from the interaction with the vehicle components and the
ground, the stresses of the links determined using the static approach can be significantly different from the dynamic stresses. Therefore, it becomes necessary to have
a computer methodology that integrates multibody computational methods with
three-dimensional finite element capabilities in order to accurately and efficiently
predict the dynamic stresses of three-dimensional tracked vehicle components.
Little has been published on the dynamic stress analysis of tracked vehicles,
especially for complex three-dimensional models. Nonetheless, many articles on
the dynamic analysis of flexible mechanisms [18] were published, as well as several
articles on the dynamic behavior of tracked vehicles, some of which are reviewed
in this section.
Sankar et al. [14] developed a nonlinear dynamic analysis method for a typical
off-road tracked vehicle model which includes the suspension system between the
wheels and the vehicle hull. The terrain is assumed to be an undeformable surface
and the track chain is modeled as a massless elastic belt. The off-road vehicleterrain interaction was analyzed in detail by Wong [20], who also modeled the track
chain as a belt. Several computer-aided methods for evaluating off-road vehicle
performances were presented in Wongs work.
Murray and Canfield [11] used general purpose multibody computer codes to
model a simple chain and sprocket system. The computational difficulties that arise
from the simulation of such a simple model were clearly demonstrated. Veikos and
Freudenstein [19] developed a computer aided procedure for the dynamic analysis
of roller chain drives. The effect on the chain impact, discontinuities in span length,
chain elasticity, and coupling between the motion and boundary conditions was analyzed for different chain configurations. Pfeiffer et al. [13] developed a multibody
approach for the analysis of the chain dynamics and vibration. A detailed investigation of different contact processes in chain motion, including impact, sliding
friction and stick-slip transitions was presented. The method was applied to two
cases of chain drives and numerical results were presented.
Choi et al. [4] developed the nonlinear dynamic equations of motion of the
three-dimensional multibody tracked vehicle systems taking into consideration the
degrees of freedom of the track chains. The nonlinear equations of motion of the
tracked vehicle are solved using different formulations. It was shown that the velocity transformation technique is the most efficient for the solution of the dynamic
equations of three-dimensional tracked vehicles. Three-dimensional nonlinear contact force models that describe the interaction between the track links and the
vehicle components such as rollers, sprockets, and idlers as well as the interaction
between the track links and ground were presented by Lee et al. [10].

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279

Sarwar et al. [15] presented a computational finite element procedure for the
deformation and stress analysis of the chain links of two-dimensional tracked vehicles and examined the validity of using the static approach in the design and
stress analysis of these vehicles. This study demonstrated that the effect of the
impulsive contact force is more significant than the effect of the rigid body inertia
forces of the chain links, and consequently, it was concluded that the deformation
of the track links does not have a significant effect on the overall motion of tracked
vehicles. The numerical results showed that the use of the static analysis may lead
to a low estimate of the stresses compared to those obtained by a dynamic stress
analysis.
In the operation of tracked vehicles used in the civilian and military applications, the track links are often source of durability problems. This is mainly due
to the fact that the track links are subjected to high frequency contact forces that
produce high stress levels. Simple static analysis procedures have been used in the
track link design because of the lack of accurate stress analysis procedures that require sophisticated numerical and computer methods to solve the highly nonlinear
differential and algebraic equations of tracked vehicle models. It is the objective of
this investigation to develop a three-dimensional computer aided dynamic analysis
procedure that can be used to study the track link deformations and vibrations.
Using this new procedure, the differences and errors resulting from the use of the
static force analysis of the track links can be demonstrated.
This paper is organized as follows. The three-dimensional model of the tracked
vehicle used in this investigation, and its equations of motion in which the track
links are assumed to be flexible, are presented in Section 2. In order to develop
an efficient computer procedure for the dynamic stress analysis of the track links,
several simplifications are made in the nonlinear inertia matrix and the vector of
the centrifugal and Coriolis forces. These simplifications are discussed in Section 3.
The partially linearized set of equations and the numerical algorithm used to determine the deformations of the track links are described in Section 4. The numerical
results of the simulations of the three-dimensional rigid body model are presented
in Section 5. The detailed three-dimensional finite element model developed in this
investigation to predict the natural frequencies and mode shapes of the link is presented in Section 6. This section also includes the results of the natural frequencies
of the track links obtained both numerically and experimentally. The terms that
represent the rigid body inertia, centrifugal and Coriolis forces are presented in
Section 7. A computational procedure for determining the generalized constraint
forces associated with the elastic coordinates of the deformable chain links is
developed and presented in Sections 8 and 9. The contact, inertia and constraint
forces are then introduced into the link deformation equations for determining the
dynamic stresses of the track links. The results of the dynamic stress analysis are
presented in Section 10, and the error resulting from the use of the static approach
in the analysis of three-dimensional tracked vehicles is demonstrated.

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Figure 1. The three-dimensional tracked vehicle model (initial configuration).

2. Spatial Model of the Tracked Vehicle

The three-dimensional multibody tracked vehicle model used in this investigation
is shown in Figure 1. This model consists of 106 bodies including the ground. In
this model, there are seven lower rollers, an upper roller, a sprocket, and an idler on
each side of the chassis. The vehicle has two track chains, each consists of 42 track
links which are connected by pin joints. In this investigation, the ground is denoted
as body 1, the chassis is denoted as body 2, the right sprocket, idler, and rollers
are denoted, respectively, as bodies 3 to 12, the left sprocket, idler, and rollers are,
respectively, bodies 13 to 22, the right track links are denoted as bodies 23 to 64,
and the left track links are bodies 65 to 106. The sprockets, idlers, and rollers are
connected to the chassis using pin joints. Each track chain is modeled as a closed
kinematic chain which does not have a kinematic coupling with the chassis of the
vehicle. Singular configurations of the closed chains are avoided by using a penalty
function approach; cuts are made at selected secondary joints on the track chains
and a compliant force element is used to impose the revolute joint connectivity
conditions at this selected secondary joint. The stiffness and damping coefficients
used in this investigation for the compliant force elements are 1.3 108 N/m, and
3.0105 Ns/m, respectively. In the model used in this investigation, the cuts in the
chains are made between the track links 23 and 64 in the right chain, and between
the track links 65 and 106 in the left chain. A detailed discussion on the singular
configurations of the track chain can be found in [12]. The tracked vehicle model
used in this study has 102 pin joints which define 510 nonlinear constraint equations in addition to the 6 ground constraint equations. The total number of degrees

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THREE-DIMENSIONAL MULTIBODY TRACKED VEHICLES

Sprocket

Idler

Roller

Track link

Figure 2. Tracked vehicle components.

of freedom of the rigid-body model used in this investigation is 120. The driving
sprockets are assumed to rotate at a constant angular velocity with respect to the
chassis. The contact forces between the track links and the vehicle components,
such as sprockets, idlers, and rollers, as well as the contact between the track links
and the ground, are evaluated using a continuous contact force model [10]. Figure 2
shows the geometry of the sprocket, idler, roller, and track link used in the vehicle
model shown in Figure 1. The geometry of the roller, idler, and sprocket shows
the side stops that limit the lateral motion of the chains. In the nonlinear contact
force models developed in this investigation to describe the interaction of the track
links with the vehicle components and the ground, tangential friction forces are
considered using a Coulomb friction theory. These friction forces are assumed
to be dependent on the roughness of the contact surface and the material of the
bodies in contact. The friction forces as well as the effect of the lateral side stops
between the track links and the vehicle components were found to be determinantal
in maintaining the stability of the track chain motion [10].
In this investigation, the dynamic equations of motion of the tracked vehicle in
which the track links are assumed to be flexible bodies are expressed in terms of
a coupled set of reference and elastic coordinates. As previously pointed out, the
track chains are considered as closed loops that consist of links connected by one
degree of freedom pin joints. Recursive kinematic equations are used to express

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Figure 3. Track links connected by a spatial revolute joint.

the coordinates of a child link in terms of a parent link as shown in Figure 3. The
recursive kinematic and dynamic equations of the track chains are described in
detail by Choi et al. [4]. Using the principle of virtual work in dynamics and the
floating frame of reference formulation, the equations of motion for the deformable
link i can be written as [17]
Mi q i + Ki qi + CTqi = Qie + Qiv ,

(1)

where Mi and Ki are, respectively, the symmetric mass and stiffness matrices, qi
is the vector of generalized coordinates, Qie is the vector of generalized external
and contact forces, Qiv is the vector of centrifugal and Coriolis inertia forces, is
the vector of Lagrange multipliers, and Cqi is the constraint Jacobian matrix. The
constraint Jacobian matrix is obtained by differentiating the vector of constraint
equations C(q, t), which describe the kinematic joints in the tracked vehicle model,
with respect to the vector of generalized coordinates qi . Equation (1) can be written
in the following partitioned form [17]
"

mirr mirf

#"

q ir

"

+
mif r miff
0 Kiff
q if
"
# "
#
(Qie )r
(Qiv )r
=
+
,
(Qie )f
(Qiv )f

#"

qir
qif

"
+

CTqi

CTqi

(2)

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THREE-DIMENSIONAL MULTIBODY TRACKED VEHICLES

where subscripts r and f are for reference and flexible coordinates, respectively.
The reference coordinates are used to define the global location and orientation of
a body coordinate system. In the formulation used in this investigation, the location
of the origin of the body coordinate system is described by the vector of Cartesian
coordinates Ri = [ Rxi Ryi Rzi ]T , while the orientation of this coordinate system is
described by the vector of Euler parameters i = [ 0i 1i 2i 3i ]T . The reference
generalized coordinate vector of the ith component in the tracked vehicle system
can be written as
i
h
T
T T
qir = Ri i
.
(3)
Therefore, Equation (2) can be written in a more explicit form as
i
i
i T
CRi
0 0 0
R
mRR miR miRf
R

i
i
i
i
CT
mR m mf
+ 0 0 0 + i
CTqi
mif R mif miff
0 0 Kiff
qif
q if
f
i i
(Qe )R
(Qv )R
i

= (Qe ) + (Qiv )
(Qie )f

(4)

(Qiv )f

In this investigation, all the bodies of the tracked vehicle system are assumed to be
rigid except the links of the track chains. It is, therefore, assumed that the model
used in this investigation has eighty four deformable track links. In order to develop
an efficient methodology for determining the deformation and stress of the track
links of the spatial tracked vehicle system, several simplifying assumptions are
made in the inertia matrix and the vector of the centrifugal and Coriolis inertia
forces of the track links. These assumptions are described in the following section.
3. Linearization of the Tracked Vehicle Equations
An efficient finite element computational procedure for studying the deformations
and stresses of the track links can be developed by using a partial linearization of
the vehicle equations of motion. The basic assumption, which will be employed
in this investigation, is that the deformation of the track links does not have a
significant effect on the overall motion of the vehicle. The effect of the change
of the track link inertia due to the flexibility is small as compared to the effect
of the impulsive contact forces resulting from the interaction of the track links
with the vehicle components and the ground. Therefore, the effect of the elastic
deformation of the track links on the overall motion of the tracked vehicle can be
neglected. The use of this assumption is justified by the fact that the track links are
made of bulky solids which have very high stiffness. The relatively high stiffness of
the track links will be demonstrated in Section 6. By using this assumption, several

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simplifications can be made in the inertia matrix and in the vector of the Coriolis
and centrifugal forces.
3.1. M OMENT

OF

M ASS

The mass submatrix miR of Equation (4) can be written as [17]

Z
i
i,
miR = Ai i u dV i G

(5)

Vi

where Ai is the spatial rotation matrix that defines the orientation of the track link
i in the global coordinate system, V i and i are, respectively, the volume and mass
i
density of the track link i, u is the skew symmetric matrix associated with the
i
vector u , which is the position vector of an arbitrary point on the track link i with
i is the matrix which relates the angular
respect to the link coordinate system, and G
velocity vector with the time derivatives of Euler parameters [17]. The vector u i can
be written as
u i = u io + u if ,

(6)

where u io is the local position vector of an arbitrary point on the track link in the
undeformed state, and u if is the deformation vector of the arbitrary point which can
be written in terms of the link shape function Si and the vector of the link elastic
coordinates qif as
u if = Si qif .

(7)

If we assume that the elastic deformation of the track link does not significantly
change the moment of mass of the link, the submatrix miR will be the same as in
the case of rigid-body analysis and it can be written as

Z
i
i.
miR Ai i u o dV i G
(8)
Vi

Furthermore, if a centroidal body coordinate system is used for the track link, one
obtains
T

miR = miR = 0.

(9)

THREE-DIMENSIONAL MULTIBODY TRACKED VEHICLES

3.2. T RANSLATION

AND

miRf

ROTATION

OF THE

285

B ODY R EFERENCE

mif

The submatrices
and
of Equation (4) represent the inertia coupling between the link deformation and the reference motion of the link coordinate system.
The assumption that the elastic deformation of the track links does not have a
significant effect on the reference motion of the vehicle, implies that the inertia
forces that depend on the elastic coordinates of the track links are small in comparison with the generalized forces associated with the reference motion of the
link coordinate systems. Consequently, the inertia force terms due to the flexibility
of the track links can be neglected in the equations associated with the reference
coordinates of the vehicle. This leads to

Z
miRf q if = Ai i Si dV i q if 0,
(10)
Vi

mif

Z
T
i
i u Si dV i q if 0.
q if = G
iT

(11)

Vi

3.3. M OMENTS

OF I NERTIA

The mass submatrix mi of a track link i is a nonlinear function of the deformation

and the orientation parameters of the link i. This matrix can be written as [17]
T

i,
i I i G
mi = G

(12)

where the inertia tensor I , defined in the track link i coordinate system, is defined
as
Z
iT i
Ii =
i u u dV i .
(13)
i

Vi

Using Equation (6), one has

 T

Z
i
i
iT i
iT i
iT i
i
i
I =
u o u o + u o u f + u f u o + u f u f dV i .

(14)

Vi

If the effect of the deformation on the mass moments and products of inertia is
neglected, one obtains
Z
iT i
Ii
i u o u o dV i
(15)
Vi

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which would be the inertia tensor of the track link i if it were rigid.
3.4. C ONSTANT M ATRICES
The submatrix miRR of Equation (4) is the same as the rigid body case, while the
submatrix miff is the conventional structural mass matrix of a deformable body
and is defined as
Z
T
miff =
i Si Si dV i .
(16)
Vi

3.5. C ENTRIFUGAL

AND

C ORIOLIS F ORCES

By using the assumption that the effect of the link elastic deformation on the overall dynamics of the vehicle can be neglected, several simplifications can also be
made in the centrifugal and Coriolis forces. The centrifugal and Coriolis forces
associated with the generalized reference coordinates can be written as [17]

i i i
" i #
i i 2 i

A
S
q
[(

)
S
+
2

]
(Qv )R
f
t
, (17)
(Qiv )r =
=
i
iT i
iT i
i T i

(Qv )

i
i
i
I 2G
If q f G
I
2G
where i is the angular velocity vector of the link i defined in the link coordinate
system, and

R
Sit = V i i u i dV i

R
i
S = i i Si dV i
.
(18)
V

R
i
i

I f = V i i u Si dV i
If the effect of the elastic coordinates and their derivatives on the vector of centrifugal and Coriolis forces is neglected, the vector (Qiv )r reduces to

R
" i #
i i 2
i i
i

A
(

)
[
dV
]
i u
)
(Q
o
V
R
v

(Qiv )r =
(19)
=
iT i
(Qiv )

i
I
2G
i
where the inertia tensor I is assumed to be constant as the result of the assumption
of Equation (15). If it is further assumed that a centroidal body coordinate system
is used for the track links, one obtains

" i #
0
)
(Q
R
v
.
(Qiv )r =
(20)
=
iT i

i
(Qiv )

2G I

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287

4. Linearized Equations of Motion of the Flexible Track Link

The assumptions outlined in the preceding sections imply that the elastic deformation of the track links does not have a significant effect on the reference motion of
the links. These assumptions are justified by the fact that the effect of the change of
the track link inertia due to the flexibility is small as compared to the effect of the
impulsive contact forces resulting from the interaction of the track links with the
vehicle components and the ground. Using the simplifications of the mass matrix
and the vector of the centrifugal and Coriolis forces discussed in the preceding
section, Equation (2) can be written as two subsystems of equations. The first
subsystem describes the rigid body dynamics, while the second one defines the
link deformation. The two subsystems of equations can be written as follows
mirr q ir + CTqi = (Qie )r + (Qiv )r ,

(21a)

miff q if + Kiff qif = (Qie )f + (Qiv )f CTqi mif r q ir ,

(21b)

where, upon the use of the assumptions of the preceding sections, one has
#
"
i
0
m
RR
mirr =
.
0 mi
Equation (21a) describes the rigid body motion of the track link and can be solved
to determine the link reference coordinates. The solution results of these nonlinear
equations determine the reference coordinates as well as the contact, inertia, and
constraint forces acting on the links. These forces are then used in Equation (21b)
which describes the track link deformations.
Based on the assumptions presented in the preceding section and Equations (21a) and (21b), a numerical procedure is developed to determine the
deformations of the track links. The numerical solution of the rigid body equations of tracked vehicles can be obtained by solving the differential and algebraic
equations that describe the dynamics of the constrained multibody tracked vehicle
system. In this investigation, the computational method used for the solution of the
rigid body equations of the tracked vehicle is the technique of the velocity transformation described in detail by Choi et al. [4]. Using the augmented formulation,
the system of equations for the reference coordinates can be written as [17]
"
#
#" # "
(Qe )r + (Qv )r
q r
mrr CTqr
(22)
=

(Qc )r
Cqr 0
in which Cqr is the Jacobian matrix of the constraint equations and (Qc )r is a
vector that absorbs terms which are quadratic in the velocities. Given a set of initial
conditions, Equation (22) can be solved for the vectors of reference accelerations
q r and Lagrange multipliers . A set of independent accelerations is chosen by
using the recursive kinematic equations of the tracked vehicle, and the independent

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accelerations can then be integrated, using a direct numerical integration method.

Using the known independent coordinates and velocities, the recursive kinematic
and velocity equations can be used to solve for the dependent reference coordinates and velocities. Once the reference coordinates, velocities, and accelerations
are determined, the forces on the right side of Equation (21b) can be evaluated.
Equation (21b) can then be considered as a system of linear second order ordinary
differential equations which can be solved for the deformation variables using the
finite element method and component mode synthesis techniques as described in
detail in the following sections.

5. Computer Simulation of the Rigid Body Tracked Vehicle Model

In this section, the simulation results of the rigid body model of the tracked vehicle
are presented. The results obtained from these simulations will be used to study
the deformations and stresses of the track links as the result of the contact, inertia,
and constraint forces. The simulation results presented in this section are obtained
using the tracked vehicle model described in Section 2. The dimensions, inertia
and material properties, and the initial configuration of the vehicle are the same as
presented by Choi [5], except for the mass of the track links which is considered in
this investigation to be equal to 18.7 kg.
Detailed three-dimensional continuous force models were developed to describe
the interaction of the track links with the vehicle components and the ground
[10]. The contact forces are the driving forces in the tracked vehicle motion and
play a fundamental role in the tracked vehicle dynamics. The impulsive contact
forces also have a significant effect on the link stresses. The contact force models
used in this investigation describe four different interactions: sprocket-track link
interaction, roller-track link interaction, ground-track link interaction and the interaction due to the side stops. The sprocket-track link interaction is assumed to occur
between the track link pins and the sprocket teeth. In the tracked vehicle model
used in this investigation, each sprocket has 21 teeth. For each tooth, three surfaces
are used to describe the contact conditions. These surfaces which are shown in
Figure 4, are the seating surface, the right surface, and the left surface. The contact
forces can be evaluated by monitoring the global position vectors of the points on
the surfaces of the track link pins and the sprocket teeth. For the contact between
the track links and the rollers and idlers, the two cases of surface contact and edge
contact are considered. The condition for the rollers and idlers to be in contact
with the surfaces of the track links is defined using the relative position vector of
the centers of the rollers and idlers in the coordinate system of the track link. The
edge contact between the rollers and idlers and the track links is assumed when the
contacts occur at the edge of the track links as shown in Figure 5. Continuous force
models are also used to describe the forces resulting from the impacts of the track
links with the rollers and idlers. To monitor the contact between the ground and the
track link, nine nodal points located on the three graucers of the link shoe plate,

THREE-DIMENSIONAL MULTIBODY TRACKED VEHICLES

Figure 4. Sprocket tooth coordinate system.

Figure 5. Edge contact between roller and track link.

289

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M. CAMPANELLI ET AL.

Figure 6. The horizontal velocity of the chassis.

with three of them on each graucer, are used to determine and evaluate the contact
condition and forces. In this study, the ground is assumed to be a flat surface road
and the friction on the ground surface is represented by a Coulomb friction model.
The coefficients of Coulomb friction used in this investigation are 0.1 and 0.01 for
longitudinal and lateral friction forces, respectively. It was pointed out by Lee et al.
[10], that the side stops of the rollers, idlers and sprockets, as well as the friction
forces, can have a significant effect on the stability of the lateral motion of the
track chains, since they limit the relative lateral motion between the track chains
and the chassis. In order to model the effect of the side stops, the relative position
vector of the origin of the track links with respect to the origin of roller, idler or
sprocket are calculated. This relative position vector is then evaluated in the track
link coordinate system and is used to determine whether or not a track link is in
contact with the side stops of the rollers, idlers or sprockets.
Several simulation cases have been performed using the three-dimensional
rigid-body tracked vehicle model. These cases include a straight line forward motion, a backward motion, turning motion, and motion of the vehicle over a bump
[1]. In this paper, only the case of straight line forward motion is presented. In this
motion, the angular velocity of the sprockets of the vehicle is assumed to be equal
to 10 rad/sec. This corresponds to a steady state vehicle velocity of 2.97 m/sec.
The time required for the vehicle to reach its steady state velocity strongly depends
on the friction coefficient used to describe the interaction between the track links
and the ground. Figure 6 shows the horizontal velocity of the chassis of the vehicle.
It can be demonstrated that the time in which the vehicle reaches its steady state
velocity is in agreement with an approximate analytical formula [1]. Figure 7 shows

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291

Figure 7. The vertical motion of the track link 50.

Figure 8. The components of the contact forces acting on the track link 50.

the vertical motion of the track link 50. Figure 8 shows the components of the
contact forces acting on the track link 50 as the result of its interaction with the
rollers, sprocket and idler. In this figure, the contact forces are expressed in the
link coordinate system. It is clear that the maximum of the absolute value of the
contact forces is reached during the sprocket-track link interaction because of the
relatively high value of the sprocket angular velocity (10 rad/sec). Figure 9 shows

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Figure 9. The effect of the contact forces of the side stops on the track link 50 (z direction).

the contact forces acting on the same link due to the effect of the side stops, while
Figure 10 shows the relative lateral position of the track link 50 with respect to the
chassis center of mass. In this figure, it is possible to see the effect of the side stops
on the track link at t 2.6 sec when the track link 50 is in contact with the idler
as shown in Figure 8. At this instant of time, the relative lateral motion of the track
link with respect to the chassis changes direction as demonstrated by the results
presented in Figure 10.
6. Flexible Track Line Equations
Each chain of the spatial tracked vehicle model shown in Figure 1 consists of 42
links connected by revolute joints. Figure 11 shows the basic structure of the track
link and its components. A track link is composed of the shoe plate, two links, and
two pin joints, one of which has a rubber bushing joint. The pitch length, which
is the distance between the centers of the two pin joints, is equal to 175 mm. The
width of this link is 500 mm, and its total mass is 18.7 kg. The shoe plate, which
has an overall length of 198.9 mm, has three lugs called graucers. The links bolted
to the plate, which are case-hardened, are of the offset type that has steel with a
higher carbon content than the shoe plate. The link pins are driven by the driving
sprockets of the vehicle. During this process, the bushing that surrounds the pin
comes in contact with the surfaces of the sprocket teeth.
In order to determine the natural frequencies and mode shapes of the track link,
a three-dimensional finite element model is developed using the general purpose
FEM package ANSYS. Figure 12 shows the finite element model of the track link

THREE-DIMENSIONAL MULTIBODY TRACKED VEHICLES

293

Figure 10. The relative lateral displacement of the track link 50 with respect to the chassis.

Figure 11. The track link and its components.

developed using a three-dimensional solid element that has 24 nodal coordinates.

In the finite element model shown in Figure 12, 1682 brick elements are used.
The total number of the model nodes is 2570. The natural frequencies and mode
shapes of the finite element model were determined numerically using ANSYS
code. Both consistent and lumped mass approaches were used in this investigation
and the results obtained by using the two techniques were compared. The results
of this comparison are presented in Table I. It is clear from the results presented in
this table that the track link has a high stiffness. The first six mode shapes of the

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M. CAMPANELLI ET AL.

Figure 12. The track link finite element model.

Table I. Natural frequencies of the track link
determined using the finite element method.
Mode

Consistent mass
approach (Hz)

Lumped mass
approach (Hz)

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

564.80
600.54
832.55
1214.80
1410.20
1456.20
1672.70
2078.50
2115.50
2445.90

555.11
584.06
810.40
1181.90
1347.10
1391.60
1620.90
2017.60
2070.40
2387.50

track link are shown in Figure 13. It is worth noting that the first mode is a torsional
mode, while the second mode is a bending mode.
The natural frequencies and mode shapes of the track link determined using
the finite element method were also verified experimentally [1]. A multiple inputsingle output (MISO) measurement was performed and an impact hammer was
used for the transient excitation in the test. In order to determine the natural
frequencies and mode shapes, a multi-degree of freedom curve-fitting procedure
was used [7]. The results of the experiment are also used to determine the modal

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THREE-DIMENSIONAL MULTIBODY TRACKED VEHICLES

first mode shape

fourth mode shape

second mode shape

fifth mode shape

third mode shape

sixth mode shape

Figure 13. The first six mode shapes of the track link obtained using the finite element model.

damping coefficients which are shown in Table II with the experimentally determined natural frequencies. Figure 14 shows the first and the second mode shapes
determined by the experimental test. The results presented in Table II and Figure 14 demonstrate a good agreement between the numerically and experimentally
identified natural frequencies and mode shapes.
As presented in Equation (21b), the track link i equations of motion associated
with the elastic coordinates can be written as
miff q if + Kiff qif = Fi (t),

(23)

where
Fi (t) = (Qie )f + (Qiv )f CTqi mif r q ir .

(24)

Utilizing the fact that miff and Kiff are constant and can be evaluated using the
finite element method, a modal transformation technique can be used to obtain

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Figure 14. The first two mode shapes of the track link identified experimentally.

Table II. The results of the experimental modal analysis.

Mode

Frequency (Hz)

Damping coefficient (%)

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

539.47
567.07
757.79
927.19
1330.00
1380.00
1520.00
1680.00
1790.00
2030.00

0.2122
0.1740
0.1692
0.2250
0.1081
0.3192
0.0840
0.1827
0.1197
0.2716

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297

a set of uncoupled ordinary differential equations for each track link [16]. Using
the modal mass coefficients mk and the stiffness coefficients kk obtained by the
orthogonality conditions of the mode shapes, and the undamped natural frequencies
(k )2 = kk /mk , one obtains the following set of uncoupled differential equations
expressed in terms of the modal coordinates
Pki + (k )2 Pki = Qik ,

k = 1, 2, . . . , ni ,

(25)

where Pki is the kth modal coordinate, k is the natural frequency of mode k, Qik
is the modal force associated with mode k, and ni is the number of modes of the
track link i. The modal force Qik is a nonlinear function of time because it includes
the effect of the rigid body inertia, contact, and joint forces acting on the track link
i. Because of the difficulty of determining analytically the modal damping coefficients associated with the modes of the track link, the modal damping coefficients
determined in the experimental test are used. Using these experimental damping
coefficients, the set of uncoupled modal differential equations of the track link can
be written as
Pki + 2k k Pki + (k )2 Pki = Qik ,

k = 1, 2, . . . , ni ,

(26)

where k is the modal damping coefficient presented in Table II. The solution of the
preceding equation can be determined using the Duhamel or convolution integral
as
i
Pki (t) = Pk0
ek k t cos[(d )k t] +

1
+
(d )k

Zt

i
i
+ k k Pk0
) k k t
(Pk0
e
sin[(d )k t]
(d )k

Qik ( ) ek k (t ) sin(d )k (t ) d,

(27)

0
i
i
where Pk0
and Pk0
are the initial conditions associated with the kth modal displacement and velocity, respectively, and (d )k is the damped natural frequency defined
as
q
(d )k = k 1 k 2 .

In this investigation, the Duhamel integral of Equation (27) is evaluated numerically using Simpsons rule [9].
7. Rigid Body Inertia, Centrifugal and Coriolis Forces of the Flexible Track
Link
The force vector of Equation (24) includes the rigid body inertia forces and the
centrifugal and Coriolis forces associated with the link generalized elastic coordinates, the generalized constraint forces, and the external forces which are only due

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to the contact and gravitational forces. In this investigation the significant effect of
the impulsive contact and reaction forces on the dynamic stresses was observed.
Nonetheless, the results of the rigid-body simulation showed that the track links
experience relatively high accelerations and angular velocities. Consequently, the
terms that describe the rigid-body forces, and the centrifugal and Coriolis forces
need to be carefully examined.
In Equation (24), the term that represents the effect of the rigid body inertia
forces on the link deformation is given by
i

R


i
i
i
i
i
,

FI = mf r q r = mf R mf
(28)
i

where the matrices mif R = miRf and mif = mif were described in Section 3.
While mif R depends only on the rigid body coordinates, mif depends on both the
elastic and reference coordinates and it represents the inertia coupling between the
link elastic deformation and the large rotation of the link coordinate system. Using
a consistent mass approach in the finite element method, the shape matrix for each
finite element j can be defined in the track link coordinate system as [17]
ij Bij Bi ,
Sij = Cij Nij C
2
1

(29)

where Nij is the element shape function, Cij is the transformation matrix that defines the orientation of the element coordinate system with respect to the body
ij is the transformation matrix that defines the nodal cocoordinate system, C
ij
ordinates in the track link coordinate system, B1 is a constant Boolean matrix
that describes the element connectivity conditions, and Bi2 is the reference condition matrix that defines a unique displacement field for the track link. Using the
definition of the shape matrix of Equation (29), the matrix mif R can be written as

Z
ne
X
T
T
T
T
T
T
ij
ij ij Nij dV ij Cij
mif R = Bi2
Ai ,
B1 C
(30)

j =1

V ij

where ne is the number of the finite elements of the track link model. Similarly, the
matrix mif can be written as

 T

Z
ne

X
T
T
T
T
ij
i . (31)
ij ij Nij T Cij T u ijo + u ijf
mif = Bi2
dV ij G
B1 C

j =1

V ij

Because of the complexity of the shape integrals that appear in the preceding two
equations, a simple and efficient lumped mass numerical procedure is used to evaluate the two submatrices mif R and mif . Using the preceding two equations and
the results of the rigid body dynamic simulation, the generalized rigid body inertia

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299

Figure 15. The horizontal (x axis direction) acceleration of the track link 50.

forces associated with the elastic coordinates of the track link can be evaluated
using Equation (28). These forces are linearly dependent on the second time derivative of the vector of the reference coordinates of the track link. Figure 15 shows
the longitudinal component (x axis direction) of the translational acceleration of the
track link 50. Note the high impulsive nature of this component of the acceleration
vector as the result of the contact forces acting on the track link. It can be shown
that the other two Cartesian components of the translational acceleration vector
have similar impulsive characteristics. Figure 16 shows the angular acceleration
of the same track link about z axis. It is clear from the results presented in this
figure that the angular acceleration significantly decreases when the track link is in
contact with the ground and the lower rollers, whereas they become larger when
the track link comes in contact with the sprocket teeth.
The vector (Qiv )f of the centrifugal and Coriolis forces that appears in Equation (24) can be written as [17]
Z
n T h i
io
i i
i
(Qv )f = i Si
( )2 u i + 2 u f
dV i ,
(32)
Vi

where all the variables that appear in this equation have been previously defined.
Using the definition of the shape matrix Si of Equation (29), and the position vector
u i defined in Equation (6), the preceding equation can be written as
(Qiv )f



i
i i
i i

= 2 S1 q f + S2 qf Io ,

(33)

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Figure 16. The angular acceleration of the track link 50 about the z axis.

where

ne
T X

i
S 1 = Bi2

j =1

ne
T X

i
S 2 = Bi2

j =1

ne
T X

Io = Bi2

j =1

ij T ij T
B1 C

T
T i
ij dV ij
ij Bij
ij Nij Cij Cij Nij C
C
1
T

V ij

ij T ij T
B1 C

V ij

ij T ij T
B1 C

V ij

Bi2 ,

ij Nij Cij ( )2 Cij Nij C

i

ij T

ij ij T ij T i ij
ij
N C u o dV .

ij ij
dV ij C
B1

(34a)

Bi2 , (34b)

(34c)

It can be shown that the integrals, which appear in the preceding equation, can
be expressed in terms of a set of skew symmetric matrices. These integrals can
also be evaluated using a lumped mass approach. This procedure simplifies the
calculations because in the lumped mass approach sum operations are used instead
of the integral evaluations used in the consistent mass approach.
The vector (Qiv )f of Equation (33) can be simplified if it is assumed that the first
two terms which depend on the deformation coordinates and their derivatives are
smaller than the third term which is independent of the elastic coordinates. Using
this assumption, the vector (Qiv )f can be written as
(Qiv )f = Io i .
i

(35)

THREE-DIMENSIONAL MULTIBODY TRACKED VEHICLES

301

Figure 17. The angular velocity of the track link 50 about the z axis.

Figure 17 shows the component of the angular velocity vector of the track link
50 about the lateral z axis. The results of this figure demonstrate that the angular
velocity decreases when the track link is in contact with the ground and the lower
rollers, while higher absolute values of the angular velocity are reached when the
track link is in contact with the sprocket.
8. Constraint Forces
In this and the following section, a procedure for determining the reaction forces
associated with the generalized elastic coordinates of the constrained deformable
chain links is presented. In the three-dimensional analysis, the revolute joints that
connects the chain links have forces and moments at the joint definition points.
It will be shown that the effect of the constraint forces on the three-dimensional
dynamic stresses is significant since these forces are heavily influenced by the
impulsive contact forces. In order to determine the actual joint forces and moments
at the joint definition points, the virtual work of the generalized constraint forces
can be used. The vector of Lagrange multipliers in Equation (24) can be used to
determine the generalized constraint forces associated with the generalized reference and elastic coordinates of the deformable track links. The number of Lagrange
multipliers is equal to the number of constraint equations and is independent of the
number of the elastic coordinates used in the dynamic model [2]. Since the number
of generalized constraint forces associated with the generalized elastic coordinates
is equal to the number of these elastic coordinates, the generalized constraint elastic
forces do not represent new independent quantities.

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M. CAMPANELLI ET AL.

Figure 18. The revolute joint between two links.

Let k be the vector of Lagrange multipliers associated with the vector Ck which
describes the constraints of an arbitrary joint k between two deformable links i and
j . The generalized constraint forces of this joint k acting on the track links i and j
can then be written as
)
Fik = (Ck )Tqi k
.
(36)
j
Fk = (Ck )Tqj k
In Equation (36), (Ck )Tqi and (Ck )Tqj are the Jacobian matrices of the joint k associated, respectively, with the vector of the generalized coordinates qi of link i and
the vector of the generalized coordinates qj of link j . The numerical values of the
j
vectors Fik and Fk can be obtained using the values of Lagrange multipliers that can
be determined from the solution of the augmented equations of motion. In flexible
body dynamics the generalized joint reaction forces associated with the elastic
coordinates do not represent independent variables. They can be calculated once
the joint reaction forces associated with the reference coordinates are determined,
as will be demonstrated in this section for the revolute joint, which is the only type
of joint in the track chain model used in this paper.
The revolute joint allows only one relative rotation, along the joint axis, between the two bodies connected by this joint. Figure 18 shows a revolute joint that
connects bodies i and j . In this figure, points P i and P j are the joint definition
points and vi and vj are two vectors along the joint axis defined on bodies i and j ,

THREE-DIMENSIONAL MULTIBODY TRACKED VEHICLES

303

Figure 19. The intermediate body fixed joint coordinate system.

respectively. The constraint equations that describe the revolute joint can be written
as
i
j
(rp rp )

iT j

C=
(37)
v1 v = 0,
T
vi2 vj
j

where rip and rp are the position vectors of the joint definition points defined on
the links i and j , respectively, and vi1 and vi2 are two vectors defined on body i,
perpendicular to the joint axis as shown in Figure 18. The position vector rip can
be written in terms of the link i coordinates as
rip = Ri + Ai u ip ,

(38)

where Ri is the global position vector of the origin of the link i coordinate system,
Ai is the orientation matrix of this coordinate system, and u ip is the local position
vector of the joint definition point on body i. The global components of the vector
vi can be defined as
i v i ,
vi = Ai A
Q
i

(39)

Q is the transformation matrix that defines the orientation of an intermediwhere A

ate body fixed joint coordinate system with respect to the body coordinate system
as shown in Figure 19, and v i is the vector of the constant components of the vector
vi defined in the intermediate joint coordinate system. If the rotations of the intermediate body fixed joint coordinate system are assumed to be small with respect

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M. CAMPANELLI ET AL.

iQ is an infinitesimal transformation
to the body coordinate system, the matrix A
matrix which can be written as [2]
iQ = I + 2
iQ
A

(40)

iQ is the skew symmetric matrix

in which I is a 3 3 identity matrix, and 2
associated with the vector 2iQ that represents the infinitesimal rotations of the
intermediate joint coordinate system with respect to the link coordinate system.
The vector 2iQ can be expressed in terms of the elastic coordinate vector qif as
2iQ = SirQ qif ,

(41)

where the matrix SirQ is a partition of the shape function matrix which describes
the rotation of the intermediate joint coordinate system with respect to the body
coordinate system. Using the definition of the position vector rip of Equation (38)
and the definition of the vector vi of Equation (39), the Jacobian matrix of the
kinematic constraints of the revolute joint can be written as


C q = C qi C qj

i
j j
i

I
Ai u p G
Ai Si
I
Aj u p G
Aj Sj

i
j

i i
vj T Ai v 1 SirQ 0T vi T Aj v j G
j vi T Aj v Sj
= 0T vj T Ai v 1 G
, (42)
rQ
1
1

i
j
i i
T
vj T Ai v 2 SirQ 0T vi T Aj v j G
j vi T Aj v Sj
0T vj Ai v 2 G
rQ
2
2
where
q=

h
qi

qj

iT
.

The generalized constraint forces acting on the deformable body i, as the result
of the revolute joint with body j , can be expressed in terms of the Lagrange
multipliers associated with the joint as
T
C Ri

T
Qic = CTqi = C i

CTqi
f

iT i iT iT i iT

T
u p A G
v 1 A vj G
i v i2 Ai T vj .
=
G

iT iT
iT i iT j
iT i iT j
S A
SrQ v 1 A v SrQ v 2 A v

(43)

The virtual work of these generalized constraint forces can then be written as
T

Wci = Qic qi = (CTRi )T Ri + (CT i )T i + (CTqi )T qif .

(44)

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THREE-DIMENSIONAL MULTIBODY TRACKED VEHICLES

Equation (43) defines the generalized constraint forces associated with the generalized coordinates. As previously mentioned, the generalized joint reaction forces
associated with the elastic coordinates are not independent quantities. Consequently, they will not be determined directly from Equation (43), but they will be
calculated using the joint reaction forces associated with the reference coordinates.
Let Fic and Mic be, respectively, the vectors of actual joint reaction forces and
moments acting on link i as the result of the revolute joint with link j . The virtual
work of these reaction forces and moments can be written as
T

Wci = Fic ric + Mic 9 ic ,

(45)

where ric is the position vector of the point of application of the force Fic , and
9 ic is the absolute rotation vector of the intermediate body fixed joint coordinate
system defined previously. The vectors ric and 9 ic can be expressed in terms of
the generalized coordinates of link i as
i + Ai Sic qif ,
ric = Ri Ai u c G
i

(46a)

i i + Sirc qif ),
9 ic = Ai (G

(46b)

where u ic is the local position vector of the point of application of the force Fic
defined in the link coordinate system, Sic is the shape function matrix defined at
the point of application of the force, and Sirc is the partition of the shape function
that describes the rotation of the intermediate joint coordinate system with respect
to the body coordinate system, defined at the point of application of the moment.
Substituting Equations (46a) and (46b) into Equation (45), one obtains
i + Ai Sic qif ) + Mic Ai (G
i + Sirc qif ) (47)
Wci = Fic (Ri Ai u c G
T

which can be also written as

T
T
i FicT Ai u ic G
i ) i
Wci = Fic Ri + (Mic Ai G
T

+ (Fic Ai Sic + Mic Ai Sirc )qif .

(48)

Comparing Equation (48) with Equation (44) one obtains

CTRi = Fic ,

(49a)

i i T i
) F + (Ai G
i )T M i ,
CT i = (Ai u c G
c
c

(49b)

CTqi = (Ai Sic )T Fic + (Ai Sirc )T Mic .

(49c)

These equations and Equation (43) can be used to find the actual joint forces Fic
and moments Mic defined at the joint definition point.

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9. Joint Forces Associated with the Elastic Coordinates

Equations (49ac) can be used to determine the generalized joint forces associated
with the generalized elastic coordinates of the track link. Recalling that CTRi and
CT i can be computed using the rigid body simulation of the tracked vehicle,

Equations (49a) and (49b) can be used to solve for Fic and Mic . These vectors can be
substituted into Equation (49c) to determine the generalized joint forces associated
with the elastic coordinates, as demonstrated in this section.
The vector Fic is readily computed from Equation (49a). Furthermore, using
Equations (49a) and (49b), one obtains
iT i

iT

u c Ai CT i + G
Ai Mic .
(Qic ) = CT i = G
R
T

(50)

Using the revolute joint Jacobian matrix of Equation (42), the generalized constraint forces associated with the finite rotation coordinates can also be written
as
i
Th
T
i CTi ,
i u i Ai T v i Ai T vj v i Ai T vj = G
(Qic ) = CT i = G
(51)
v
p
1
2

where the matrix Cvi can be written as

T

Cvi = C i BiG .

(52)

The matrix BiG , dependent on the chosen set of orientation coordinates, can be
defined as

1

iT
,
for Euler angles or Rodrigues parameters,
G
BiG =

1G
i,
for Euler parameters.
4
Substituting Equation (51) into Equation (50), using the orthogonality property of
the transformation matrix Ai , and solving for the vector of the actual joint reaction
moments Mic , one obtains
T

Mic = Ai (CTvi u c Ai CTRi )

i

(53)

which, upon the use of Equation (52), can be written as

T
i
Mic = Ai (BiG CT i u c Ai CTRi ).

(54)

Equations 49a and 54 define the actual joint forces Fic and moments Mic as
function of the generalized constraint forces associated with the reference coordinates. These equations can be used to express the generalized constraint forces
associated with the elastic coordinates in terms of the generalized constraint forces
associated with the reference coordinates. To this end, Equations (49a) and (53) can

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THREE-DIMENSIONAL MULTIBODY TRACKED VEHICLES

Figure 20a. The reaction forces from the revolute joint 49 acting on the track link 50.

be substituted into Equation (49c). This leads to the definition of the generalized
constraint forces associated with the elastic coordinates as
i
T
T
(Qic )f = CTqi = (Sic + u c Sirc )T Ai CTRi + Sirc BiG CT i

T
Bis (Qic )R

+ BiGr (Qic ) ,

(55)

where
Bis = Ai (Sic + u c Sirc ),
i

BiGr = Sirc BiG .

(56)
(57)

It is clear from Equation (55) that the generalized constraint forces associated with
the elastic coordinates do not represent independent variables and can be expressed
in terms of the generalized constraint forces associated with the reference coordinates. Another important observation is that the generalized elastic constraint
forces are also functions of the actual joint moments. The relationship between
the actual moments Mic and the generalized constraint forces associated with the
reference coordinates is given by Equation (54).
Figure 20a shows the reaction forces of the revolute joint that connects the links
49 and 50, while in Figure 20b the reaction forces of the revolute joint between
links 50 and 51 are shown. The results of the actual joint forces are obtained
directly from the value of Lagrange multipliers calculated using the results of the
rigid body simulation and Equation (49a). The actual joint moments can be also

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M. CAMPANELLI ET AL.

Figure 20b. The reaction forces from the revolute joint 50 acting on the track link 50.

obtained using the results of Equation (54). It can be shown that the vector of the
actual moments defined in the link coordinate system has also a component in the
z direction. This is the direction of the revolute joint axis in the initial undeformed
configuration. In Figures 20a and 20b, the three components of the generalized
joint forces associated with the three translational components of the generalized
reference coordinates are plotted versus time. The results of these figures show
the direct effect of the impulsive contact forces on the reaction forces of the track
link during a complete cycle of rotation of the track chain. The higher values are
reached when the track link is engaged with the sprocket.

10. Dynamic Stress Analysis

One of the main objectives of the investigation presented in this paper is to compare
the stresses of the track links calculated using the dynamic approach with those
obtained using static analysis. From this comparison it will be demonstrated that
a static approach does not provide a conservative estimate for the stresses in the
components of tracked vehicles. The stress level of the track link is examined during a complete cycle of rotation of the track and the separate effect of the contact,
inertia, and constraint forces is analyzed.
In order to examine the stress level in the track links, the principal stresses and
the Von Mises stress are determined. The Von Mises stress v is defined as [6]
1 q
2 + 2 + 2 ) ,
v =
(x y )2 + (y z )2 + (z x )2 + 6(xy
yz
zx
2

THREE-DIMENSIONAL MULTIBODY TRACKED VEHICLES

309

Figure 21. Von Mises static stress distribution when the track link is in contact with the
sprocket teeth.

where x , y , z are the normal stresses, while xy , yz , zx are the shear stresses.
Both cases of static and dynamic stress analysis will be considered in this section.
In the static approach, the stresses are determined using the deformation coordinates obtained by Equation (23), where the flexible-body inertia term miff q if , the
rigid body inertia term mif r q ir , and the centrifugal and Coriolis forces (Qiv )f are
neglected.
A static stress analysis was first performed using the finite element code
ANSYS at two instants of time, t = 1.2 sec at which the link pin joint experiences a
maximum contact force as the result of the engagement with the sprocket tooth, and
t = 2.4 sec at which the contact force between the track link and the idler has the
maximum absolute value. The contact forces at these two instants of time are shown
in Figure 8, while Figures 21 and 22 show the result of the static stress analysis
obtained by using ANSYS. In this static analysis, clamped boundary conditions at
the ends of the pin joints are used. In both figures, the Von Mises stress distribution
is presented. The results indicate that the area with the largest stress level is the
contact area. As shown in Figure 21, this contact area is at the joint pin in the case
of the engagement with the sprocket teeth.
In the dynamic stress analysis, the modal forces associated with the modal
coordinates of the track link are first calculated. Figure 23 shows the first three
modal forces as function of time, while Figure 24 shows the first three modal

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M. CAMPANELLI ET AL.

Figure 22. Von Mises static stress distribution when the track link is in contact with the idler.

Figure 23. The first three modal forces.

THREE-DIMENSIONAL MULTIBODY TRACKED VEHICLES

311

Figure 24. The first three modal coordinates.

coordinates as solution of Equation (26). The results presented in Figure 23 show

clearly the effect of the high impulsive contact forces resulting from the interaction
of the track link with the sprocket teeth at time t 1.2 sec on the second and the
third modal forces, but not on the first modal force. This is primarily due to the
fact that the first mode shape is torsional and is not affected by the contact forces
generated by the sprocket-link interaction. Note that the phase shift between the
maximum modal forces and the maximum modal coordinates is due to the effect
of the damping which was determined experimentally. Figure 25, which shows the
longitudinal displacement of node 696, demonstrates the high vibration level generated by the impulsive contact forces. The maximum values of the displacements
are experienced when the track link is in contact with the sprocket teeth.
In order to compare the stresses computed using the static and the dynamic approaches, several elements of the track link model are chosen to perform the stress
calculations. These elements and their positions on the track link are shown in
Figure 26. Figure 27 compares the time history of the Von Mises stress for element
865 computed using the static and dynamic approaches, while Figure 28 shows the
same comparison for element 834. This later element experiences a lower stress
level because its position is on the shoe plate and it does not come into contact with
the vehicle components. Figure 29 shows the comparison between the maximum
shear stresses for element 1354 obtained using the static and dynamic approaches.
It is clear from the results presented in these figures that there are significant differences between the stresses predicted using the static and dynamic approaches.
These differences demonstrate that the static approach does not provide a good
estimate for the stresses on the track link in tracked vehicles.

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Figure 25. The longitudinal displacement of the node 696.

Figure 26. The elements and nodes selected for the vibration and dynamic stress analysis.

THREE-DIMENSIONAL MULTIBODY TRACKED VEHICLES

313

Figure 27. Comparison between dynamic and static stress distribution for the element 865.

Figure 28. Comparison between dynamic and static stress distribution for the element 834.

The separate effects of the contact, inertia, and joint reaction forces have been
also examined in this numerical study. The three-dimensional analysis performed
in this investigation indicated that the reaction and the contact forces have the most
significant effects on the stress distribution of the track link. The effect of the inertia
forces, including the Coriolis and centrifugal forces are of much less significance. It
is worth mentioning, however, that considering the separate effects of the individual

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M. CAMPANELLI ET AL.

Figure 29. Comparison between dynamic and static stress distribution for the element 1354.

force, especially that of the contact and reaction forces, is not recommended. This
is mainly due to the fact that the high values of the reaction forces are the direct
result of the impulsive contact forces.
11. Summary and Conclusions
Despite the widespread use of off-road vehicles such as tracked vehicles, only
methods of static analysis have been mainly used in the design of such vehicles.
Therefore, it is not surprising that the effects of the three-dimensional dynamic
forces such as contact, inertia, centrifugal, and reaction forces have not been previously evaluated. In the investigation presented in this paper, the effect of the
dynamic forces of three-dimensional tracked vehicles is considered and quantified.
These forces are used to develop a detailed model for the deformation and stress
analysis of the track links of tracked vehicles. The detailed stress analysis model
is used to compare the results obtained using the static and dynamic approaches.
A tracked vehicle model that consists of one hundred and six bodies is used in this
investigation. The kinematic degrees of freedom of the track chains are considered
in the three-dimensional model of the vehicle. The equations of motion of the
three-dimensional tracked vehicle model in which the track links are considered
flexible bodies, are first presented in terms of a coupled set of reference and elastic
coordinates. Assuming that the elastic deformation of the track links does not have
a significant effect on the overall motion of the vehicle, the mass matrix and the
centrifugal and Coriolis forces are simplified. The resulting partially linearized
set of differential equations consists of two subsystems. The first subsystem is

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315

associated with the rigid body motion of the vehicle, while the second subsystem
is associated with the elastic coordinates of the track links. Numerical simulation
results of the rigid body vehicle model were presented in this paper. The results
of these simulations are used to determine the reference coordinates as well as
the contact, inertia, and constraint forces associated with the elastic coordinates of
the track links. Using these forces, a computational procedure has been developed
for determining the generalized forces associated with the elastic coordinates of
the track links. These forces can be used to determine the deformations and the
dynamic stresses of the track links. A detailed three-dimensional finite element
model of the track link was developed and used to predict the natural frequencies
and mode shapes. The terms that represent the inertia, centrifugal and Coriolis, and
constraint forces are identified and thoroughly examined. In particular, a method
for determining the reaction forces and moments of the revolute joints connecting
flexible bodies has been developed. The stress analysis results obtained in this
investigation demonstrate that the static stress analysis approach does not lead to
an accurate prediction of the stresses of the track links in complex tracked vehicles.
The results of the dynamic stress analysis also show that the reaction and contact
forces have a significant effect on the track link dynamic stresses, while the inertia,
Coriolis and centrifugal forces are of less significance.
Acknowledgement
This research was supported by the U.S. Army Research Office, Research Triangle
Park, NC.
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