Performance evaluation of hydraulic normal loading device on varying soil conditions for indoor tyre test rig

Abstract

The radial-ply tyre (14.2R28) was tested to validate the performance of the hydraulic normal loading device at dynamic conditions. Tyre was tested at two different soil bed conditions at different drawbar pulls until the wheel indicate up to 15% slip. Drawbar pull was applied with the help of a drawbar loading device. Drawbar pull, slip and actual hydraulic normal load experience by the wheel were measured with transducer and recorded with the help of data acquisition system. Tractive efficiency and slip of the tyre were measured at different pulls and compared the same with dead load. The hydraulic normal loading system was used to study the effect of normal load on the tyre under soft and hard bed soil conditions. It was observed that with the hydraulic loading device, the normal load on the wheel axle under dynamic conditions was found to increase in the range of 1.18 to 5.1% for soft and1.9 to 4.1% hard bed soil surface. Average variation in tractive efficiency and slip was 1.43% and 1.03%, respectively for hard and 4.03% and 1.28%, respectively for soft soil at varying pull up to slip 15%. The effect of soil hardness was found to be significant (p < 0.04) on tractive efficiency and slip at 5% level.