Evaluation of Traction Characteristics of Tractor Tires on Loose Soils: Simulation and Experimental Research

Abstract

In this study, a tire-soil rolling contact model based on the finite element method was established to determine the traction characteristics of the tire on the loose soil. Considering the soil parameters and tire parameters (loads, slip, inflation pressure and tread pattern), the influence of traction characteristics of the tire was obtained, taking tire sinkage and gross traction as evaluation indexes. The correctness of the tire-soil rolling contact model was verified by carrying out the soil bin-single wheel experiments. The results of the simulation and test showed that with the increase of load and sinkage of the tire, the gross traction tended to increase, thus enhancing the tire traction characteristics. With the increase of slip, the tire sinkage and gross traction increased, and the best tire traction characteristics were exhibited at a slip of 20%. Within the rated inflation pressure, as the inflation pressure increased, the tire sinkage decreased, the tire gross traction decreased and the traction characteristics of the tire were weakened. Under simulated working conditions, the traction characteristics of the tire first increased and then decreased with the increase of the number of tire lug pairs, and 15 tire lug pairs performed best. This paper presents a further study on the interaction between tires and soil under different influencing factors, and its findings provide an effective reference for predicting the traction performance assessment of tractor tires on working roads.