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While much research has focused on improving terrain mobility, energy and fuel efficiency of terrain trucks, only a limited amount of investigation has gone into analysis of power distribution between the driving wheels. Distribution of power among the driving wheels has been shown to have a significant effect on vehicle operating characteristics for a given set of operating conditions and total power supplied to the wheels. Wheel power distribution is largely a function of the design of the driveline power dividing units (PDUs). In this paper, 6×6/6×4 terrain truck models are analyzed with the focus on various combinations of PDUs and suspension systems. While these models were found to have some common features, they demonstrate several different approaches to driveline system design.

Brake-based traction control systems (TC), which utilize the brake of a spinning wheel of the drive axle, are widely used in passenger cars and light trucks, and recently were applied to all-wheel drive construction equipment. Such machines employ various types of interwheel drive systems (i.e., axle drives such as open differentials, limited slip differentials, etc.) to control torque split between the drive wheels and, thus, improve vehicle traction performance. As experimental research showed, the interaction between the traction control system and the axle drive can lead to unpredictable changes in vehicle performance. Lack of analytical work in this area motivated this study of the interaction and impact of the two systems on each other and the dynamics and performance of a drive axle.

We describe an off-line estimator for the sideslip angles of an articulated off-road vehicle based on measurements from Global Positioning System (GPS) and Inertial Navigation System (INS). The current implementation is a proof of concept and the intention is to develop a system that can be used as a reference for on-line estimators. By comparing measurements from two GPS/INS units, mounted on the front and rear part of the vehicle, it is possible to estimate the sideslip angles of both the front and rear part. The method has been tested on a Volvo A25E articulated all-wheel drive hauler equipped with two high precision GPS/INS units (NovAtel's SPAN-CPT). Tests have been performed when driving on asphalt, gravel and snow. The results from the tests are discussed.