Influence analysis of rim radius on motion performance of lunar rover wheel

Abstract

Mechanical models are developed to analyze the effect of rim radius on motion performance of lunar rover wheel, which is useful for designing wheel configuration, vehicle simulation and dynamic analysis of lunar rover. Based on the terramechanics, shear force and bulldozing resistance acting on the wheel are investigated. And the quantitative relation among rim radius, drawbar pull, driving torque and steering resistance moment (SRM) are established, which confirms that the increasing rim radius can improve the tractive performance of the wheel, in contrast, it also decreases the steering performance of the wheel. To validate the models, a single-wheel test bed is employed to test the rolling and steering performance of two wheels. The theoretical results are compared with the experimental results, which show that the model is close enough to the real situation.