DRIVELINE CONFIGURATION AND TERRAIN EFFECT ON SLIPPAGE AND EFFICIENCY OF A 6X6/6X4 TRUCK

The power distribution between driving wheels has been shown to have a significant impact on vehicle energy efficiency, but there has only been limited research in this area. As shown in this paper, the wheel power distribution is largely dependent on the power dividing units (PDUs) which split/vector power between the driving wheels. The performance of a particular driveline system will also depend largely on the terrain conditions the vehicle encounters. This paper presents an analysis of PDU configurations in 6x6/6x4 terrain trucks. The vehicle efficiency is evaluated in a wide variety of typical operating conditions including varying surface types, speeds and accelerations, and slope conditions. An analytical method is presented which can be used to determine the tire circumferential forces and slippages. Finally, an analysis of the effects of the driveline configuration, terrain, and surface type on truck transportation efficiency is presented for three PDU combinations.