Abstract
This study presents an investigation into the stability of a high-speed tracked vehicle, Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance (Tracked) CVR(T), using both experimental data and a hybrid Matlab/Simulink model. The vehicle model developed has six degrees of freedom and incorporates a suspension, which is used to determine the vertical track ground force and the horizontal component caused by the track sliding over the surface. Experimental data from a steady state handling trial is used to validate the model on a hard, level, smooth surface. The transmission and steering dynamics of the vehicle are approximated by a first order lag. Using the model, simulations are performed to explore the stability of the vehicle. It is shown that in the event of the vehicle starting to become unstable, at high speed, that it is unlikely the driver will be able to recover the situation.
Keywords: Tracked Vehicle, Modelling, Simulation, Handling, Stability