Optimisation of Kinematics for Tracked Vehicle Hydro Gas Suspension System

The modern-day armoured fighting vehicles (AFVs) are basically tracked vehicles equipped with hydro gas suspensions, in lieu of conventional mechanical suspensions like torsion bar and coil spring bogie suspensions. The uniqueness of hydro gas suspension is that it offers a nonlinear spring rate, which is very much required for the cross-country moveability of a tracked vehicle. The AFVs have to negotiate different cross-country terrains like sandy, rocky, riverbed, etc. and the road irregularities provide enumerable problems during dynamic loadings to the design of hydro gas suspension system. Optimising various design parameters demands innovative design methodologies to achieve better ride performance. Hence, a comprehensive kinematic analysis is needed. In this study, a methodology has been derived to optimise the kinematics of the suspension by reorienting the cylinder axis and optimising the load-transferring leverage factor so that the side thrust on the cylinder is minimised to a greater extent. The optimisation ultimately increases the life of the high-pressure and high-temperature piston seals, resulting in enhanced system life for better dependability