Improving Wheeled Vehicle Water Speed by Means of Wheel Shrouding

摘要

Presented in this report are experimental results of scale-model tests performed in the Land Locomotion Laboratory River Simulator to investigate the effects of wheel shrouding on wheeled vehicle water speed. This investigation was initiated to determine and analyze the swimming ability of wheeled vehicles resulting from wheel shrouding. An unshrouded wheeled vehicle using its wheel drive system as its sole water propulsive agent was selected for this study. Experimental tests were performed using a self-propelled, one-eighth, scale model of the Truck, Cargo, 5-ton, 8x8, XM-453. The model tests showed that wheel shroud design could radically improve water performance to a value of seventy percent above the maximum in the unshrouded condition. Also, it was shown that improper wheel shrouding and/or worn tire treads decrease the propelling forces of submerged wheels and limit a vehicle's water velocity well below the available 'maximum.' (Author)