Terramechanics and Off-Road Vehicle Engineering will be of great interest to any professional engineer or automotive engineering student working on off-road vehicles. Reflecting the increase in off-road vehicle production and development—recreational, agricultural, construction, military—this book equips readers with all of the necessary knowledge to successfully design and model off-road vehicle systems, and provides a comprehensive introduction to terramechanics, the mechanics of vehicle/terrain interaction. The only book to cover the principles of off-road vehicle and terrain engineering, a rapidly developing sector that includes SUVs, tractors and agricultural vehicles, military vehicles, and construction equipment Covers the latest developments in the field, including the latest computer-aided methods employed in the development of new generation of high-mobility off-road vehicles in Europe, North America and Asia. Ideal for professional reference and course reference by students, with new detailed worked design examples, case studies, and accompanying problems and solutions.

Featuring contributions from industry leaders in their respective fields, this volume presents comprehensive, authoritative coverage of all the major issues involved in road vehicle dynamic behavior. It begins with a short history of road and off-road vehicle dynamics followed by thorough, detailed state-of-the-art chapters on modeling, analysis and optimization in vehicle system dynamics, vehicle concepts and aerodynamics, pneumatic tires and contact wheel-road/off-road, modeling vehicle subsystems, vehicle dynamics and active safety, man-vehicle interaction, intelligent vehicle systems, and road accident reconstruction and passive safety.

THEORY OF GROUND VEHICLES A leading and authoritative text for advancing ground vehicle mobility Theory of Ground Vehicles, Fifth Edition presents updated and expanded coverage of the critical factors affecting the performance, handling, and ride essential to the development and design of road and off-road vehicles. Replacing internal combustion engines with zero-emission powerplants in ground vehicles to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions for curbing climate change has received worldwide attention by both the vehicle industry and governmental agencies. To enhance safety, traffic flow, and operating efficiency of road transport, automated driving systems have been under active development. With growing interest in the exploration of the Moon, Mars, and beyond, research in terramechanics for guiding the development of extraterrestrial rovers has been intensified. In this new edition, these and other topics of interest in the field of ground vehicle technology are explored, and technical data are updated. New features of this edition include: Expanded coverage of the fundamentals of electric drives, hybrid electric drives, and fuel cell technology Introduction to the classification and operating principles of the automated driving system and cooperative driving automation Applications of terramechanics to guiding the development of extraterrestrial rovers Elaboration on the approach to achieving the optimal operating efficiency of all-wheel drive off-road vehicles Introduction to updated ISO Standards for evaluating vehicle ride An updated and comprehensive text and reference for both the educational and professional communities, Theory of Ground Vehicles, Fifth Edition will prove invaluable to aspiring and practicing engineers seeking to solve real-world road and off-road vehicle mobility problems.

The fundamental problem in the study of vehicle mobility is the development of traction between the vehicle and the supporting terrain. The mechanics of energy transfer will essentially control the final performance of the surficial machine. Determining and predicting the capability of a particular piece of machinery to traverse successfully a specific piece of terrain is very complex, particularly as the characteristics and properties of different types of terrain cover vary considerably, as do the many types of vehicle and their running gear.The material that forms the basis of this book has been gathered over many years of study both in the laboratory and in the field. It studies vehicle traction mechanics from the viewpoint of the interaction between the vehicle and the ground surface. The types of machines covered include earth-moving, forestry, agricultural, and construction machines. In addition, the mechanisms involved in the development of traction and the working of the terrain through cultivation, construction and surface disturbances are examined. The book also addresses the problems of off-road mobility and terrain trafficability, especially from the terrain-support and terrain interaction points of view. It is the authors' aim that the book will provide the reader with the ability to both analyze and predict the traction capability of his proposed machinery, and also to anticipate the kinds of reactions that will occur in the ground and at the ground surface.