Study on track–soil traction using discrete element method simulation and soil bin test

The soil ground with low moisture content has the mechanical properties of low viscosity and high friction, which have a great influence on the traveling of a tracked vehicle. In this paper, a movement model of the rigid track on low moisture soil is established based on the discrete element method (DEM) simulation. The soil simulation model was verified by the triaxial compression test. The traction simulation of the track under different vertical stress was carried out, and the traction performance of the track was analyzed by combining with the results of the soil bin test. The analysis shows that the tractive effort increases with the increase in vertical stress. The tractive effort distribution of the track is basically the same as the shape of the bottom of the track, and the tractive effort on both sides of the track cannot be ignored. The average error of tractive effort in simulation is 3.94%. DEM simulation can reproduce the mechanical properties and the discontinuous nature of low moisture soil particles under dynamic load, which is suitable for the numerical study of the interaction between the track and soil.