Development of a track tension monitoring system in tracked vehicles on flat ground

The mobility of tracked vehicles is mainly influenced by the characteristics of the track assembly and by the interaction between tracks and soil. In particular, the track tension is closely related to the maneuverability of tracked vehicles and the durability of chassis components. In order to minimize the excessive load on the tracks and to prevent the peel-off of tracks from the sprocket, it is necessary to maintain the optimum track tension throughout the manoeuvre. However, the track tension cannot be easily measured owing to limitations in sensor technology, harsh environment, etc. In this paper an indirect track tension monitoring system is developed for tracked vehicles on flat ground based on idler assembly models, a geometric relation around the idler and the estimated tractive force using the extended Kalman technique. The performance of the tension monitoring system is verified with the results obtained from the multibody dynamics tool and an experimental set-up.