Experimental definition of lateral stiffness of a pneumatic wheel of the MTZ-82 “Belarus” tractor

BACKGROUND: Due to the excessive vertical and angular vibrations of suspensionless vehicles used in agriculture and road construction that occur during movement, the velocity of their motion is limited, which, in the conditions of a constant traffic flow, reduces the road capacity. Therefore, the search for ways to improve the vibration-isolating properties of wheeled suspensionless vehicles is a relevant issue, the solution of which affects not only on traffic safety and driving comfort, but also on average speed and fuel efficiency.

AIMS: To determine the lateral stiffness of the pneumatic wheel from the rear axle of the MTZ-82 “Belarus” tractor at different tire pressures, basing on bench tests.

METHODS: On the basis of the hydraulic pulsation test rig of the Automatic Units department of the VolgGTU, a special-purpose movable supporting and measuring device was developed and assembled, the feature of which is that 4 rollers with flanges are installed on top of the hydraulic actuator force sensor, a flat rectangular base plate is supported on these rollers and connected with a vertical frame of the rig through a force-measuring device by means of a screw mechanism. The tested wheel is mounted on the base plate, the wheel’s axle is fixed on a vertically-moving traverse, on top of which weights creating the necessary vertical force are fixed. The test procedure consisted in measuring the lateral force and lateral displacement of the base plate until the tire slip occurred at the following tire pressures: at the recommended pressure of 0.16 MPa and at reduced pressures of 0.12, 0.08 and 0.04 MPa.

RESULTS: Based on the test results, the elastic characteristic curves of the lateral stiffness of the tested wheel were obtained. These characteristic curves have a regressive form, as their slope significantly decreases with a significant reduce in tire pressure. Thus, when the tire pressure is reduced from 0.16 to 0.12 MPa, there is practically no difference in the obtained values of lateral stiffness, which reaches 112.5 kN/m. After a 2-fold tire pressure reduction, the lateral stiffness decreases by 7%, and after a 4-fold reduction, by 28%. At the same time, the static tire deflection increases from 22 to 32 mm, which significantly increases the contact patch of the tire with the ground.

CONCLUSIONS: By means of the tests carried out, it is established that tire pressure reduction by 25–50% of the recommended value does not have a significant effect on the loss of lateral stiffness of the pneumatic wheel of the rear axle of the MTZ-82 “Belarus” tractor, which is important to use in order to increase traction and improve ride comfort of wheeled tractors.