TIRE TO TRACK TRANSFORMING SYSTEM (4TS)

摘要

Mattracks has designed and tested the Tire to Track Transforming System (4TS) enabling a vehicle to have both tracks and tires incorporated simultaneously. An operator switches between modes with the press of a button. Until the 4TS, Mattracks' conversion systems would require one to change the tires to tracks as one would change a tire; the 4TS is as simple as shifting from 2WD to 4WD. This technology enables a vehicle to have all of the advantages of wheels (durability, efficiency, high speeds) and tracks (flotation, traction, overall increased mobility) The initial prototype shows the 4TS transforms from tires to tracks in less than one minute, and transforms back from tracks to tires in less than one minute. Tests were performed on both the tire and track mode. The vehicle that was used as the test platform was a 2012 Polaris Ranger. Each test was also performed on the Ranger with stock tires as a base line for comparison. The data collected were drawbar power, rolling resistance, gradeability, side hill mobility, vertical step, double lane change stability, and top speed. The 4TS system exceeded the performance of the baseline stock vehicle in drawbar power and gradeability. The base-line vehicle did reach a higher speed, but this is in part due to the lighter overall weight of the stock unit as compared to the added weight the 4T S system adds. The difference in high speed would be lessened with further development into the 4TS to reduce the overall weight of the system. The goal of the 4TS is to scale up to larger vehicles, and the added weight would become a lower percentage of the overall system weight and the top speed differences would be negligible. All other tests showed comparable results between the 4TS system and the baseline stock vehicle.