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Energy Procedia 105 (2017) 2971 – 2976

The 8th International Conference on Applied Energy – ICAE2016

Study on optimization for transmission system of electric

drive tracked vehicles
Mingfei Gaoa,*, Jibin Hua, Zengxiong Penga
Beijing Institute of TechnologyˈNO.5 South Street Zhongguancun, HaidianˈBeijing 100081, China

Abstract

In this paper, the optimization of transmission system of electric drive tracked vehicles is studied. The purpose of
optimization is to obtain maximum transmission efficiency. The research content in this paper includes two parts:
theoretical analysis and computer simulation. The theoretical analysis is to determine the factors that affect the
efficiency of the transmission system. The computer simulation is to optimize the actual transmission mechanism to
obtain maximum transmission efficiency. The research methods in this paper can help the designer to determine the
parameters and the optimal control strategy of the transmission system. The result of this paper has applied value to
the design of transmission mechanism of electric drive tracked vehicles.

©©2017
2016TheThe Authors.
Authors. Published
Published by Elsevier
by Elsevier Ltd.
Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
Selection and/or peer-review under responsibility of ICAE
Peer-review under responsibility of the scientific committee of the 8th International Conference on Applied Energy.

Keywords: Optimization; Electric drive; Efficiency

1. Introduction

Compared with the traditional mechanical transmission, the electric transmission of tracked vehicles
has many advantages, such as continuously variable speed, excellent acceleration performance and
stepless steering etc. Thanks to the introduction of more compact electrical machines and power
converters, the designers of tracked vehicles have become more and more interested in electric drive.
For the transmission mechanism of tracked vehicles, there are four main types and two most commonly
used forms are independent driving by dual motors and single motor cross-drive electric transmission. For
example, the armored transport vehicle M113A3 is equipped with independent driving with dual motors
as shown in Fig.1 (a). In this form, two motors provide individual drive for each roller and can be
arranged easily. It is well known that the tracked vehicles is steered by changing the relative track speed,

* Corresponding author. Tel: +86-010-68918494; fax: +86-010-68944487.

E-mail address: gaomingfei@bit.edu.cn.

1876-6102 © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
Peer-review under responsibility of the scientific committee of the 8th International Conference on Applied Energy.
doi:10.1016/j.egypro.2017.03.707
2972 Mingfei Gao et al. / Energy Procedia 105 (2017) 2971 – 2976

i.e. skid steering. When the vehicle is steered, both the speed and the resistance of high-speed side track
will increase, which requires the motor to provide larger power.
When the vehicle is steered with smaller radius, the regenerative power will be generated in the low
speed side track. In this case, the low speed side motor will become generator to absorb the regenerative
power. If the regenerative power can be transferred to the high speed track, then the power for the motor
will be greatly reduced, and then the size of the motor can be reduced. In particular, the efficiency of the
system will be greatly improved. In order to realize the transfer of regenerative power, the middle power
coupling mechanism is developed based on independent driving. Fig.1 (b) shows a planetary power
coupling mechanism with four ports, in which two of the ports are fixedly connected to the motor and the
other two are fixedly connected to the output shaft. The regenerative power can be transferred between
tracks through the power coupling mechanism, and then the efficiency of the system can be greatly
improved. .
Increasing
Engine Generator
Increasing box
Engine Generator
box

Power control unit

Power control unit

Traction Traction
motor motor
Active Traction Active Power
Side Traction Side Active Side Side Active
wheel motor wheel coupling
transmission motor transmission wheel transmission transmission wheel
mechanism

(a) (b)

Fig. 1 (a) independent driving (b) middle power coupling mechanism

Fig.2 (a) shows the output power of two side track with different relative steering radius, in which
Po1 and Po 2 denote the power of two side track, respectively. While PM 1 and PM 2 denote the power of two
traction motors, respectively. For the scheme shown in Fig.1 (a), the power of the two traction motors is
equal to the power of two sides track, respectively. Therefore, it has

PM PM 1  PM 2 Po1  Po 2 (1)

For the scheme shown in Fig.1 (b), the power of two traction motors general is less than the power of
two sides track respectively. Let PM 1 ' and PM 2 ' denote the power of two traction motors, respectively. It is
obvious that PM 1 ' d Po1 and PM 2 ' d Po 2 , then it has.

PM ' PM 1 '  PM 2 ' d Po1  Po 2 (2)

It is easy to see that PM '  PM , which means the power loss of the motor of scheme Fig.1 (b) is less than
that of scheme Fig.1 (a). Obviously, the transmission scheme with power coupling mechanism has better
performance. Therefore, this paper will focuses on the study of the scheme shown in Fig.1 (b).
For electric drive tracked vehicles, the transmission efficiency depends on the motor power loss and
mechanical power loss. Therefore, one of the most effective ways to improve the efficiency of the
transmission system is to reduce the power of the motor. In general, the power coupling mechanism uses
the planet gear mechanism. Therefore, this paper will focuses on the optimization study of planetary gear
transmission of tracked vehicles. The objective of the optimization is to obtain maximum transmission
efficiency.
 Mingfei Gao et al. / Energy Procedia 105 (2017) 2971 – 2976 2973

(a) (b)

Fig. 2 (a) power of two siders track (b) power of motors

2. Efficiency analysis

For the transmission systems of tracked vehicle, the speed and torque constraint equations are all
homogeneous linear. It is not difficult to write all the speed and torque constraint equations and obtain a
linear system of equations, which can be written in matrix form as follows

Zout Amu p ˜ Zin (3)

Tout Bmuq ˜ Tin (4)

Where Zin and Zout denote the input and output speed vector, respectively. Also, Tin and Tout denote the
input and output torque vector, respectively. While Amu p and Bmuq denote the coefficient matrix of the
speed and torque constraint equations, respectively. Without loss of generality, it is assumed that no
redundant equations are included in the system of equations.
According to the constraint equations, the transmission system can be divided into two types. The first
type is that p 2 and q 2 . For this type, the speed and torque of input motors are uniquely determined
by the speed and torque of outputs. Therefore, the factors that affect the efficiency of the transmission
mechanism are only the characteristic parameters of planetary gear trains. Therefore, the efficiency
formula can be written in the following form

K f (To1 , To 2 , Zo1 , Zo 2 , k ) (5)

Where To1 and To 2 denote the output torque of two side track, respectively. Also, Zo1 and Zo 2 denote the
output speed of two side track, respectively. While k denotes the characteristic parameters vector of
planetary gear trains. The second type is that p ! 2 or q ! 2 . For this type, the speed and torque of input
motors are not uniquely determined by the speed and torque of outputs, but infinite. Fig.3 (b) shows a
transmission mechanism, and the torque relationship between the input and output is as follows

§ TM 1 ·
§ To1 · § 1 0 1  k1  ˜ i · ¨ ¸
¨ ¸ ¨ ¸ ¨ TM 2 ¸ (6)
© To 2 ¹ © 0 1  1  k2  ˜ i ¹ ¨ ¸
© TM 3 ¹
2974 Mingfei Gao et al. / Energy Procedia 105 (2017) 2971 – 2976

According to equation (6), in order to meet the requirement of output torque, the torque of the motor M3
can be given freely. In fact, the allocation of torque will affect the power flow, and then affect the
efficiency of the transmission system. Therefore, the factors that affect the transmission efficiency include
the allocation of the speed or torque of input motors. Also, the efficiency formula can be written in the
following form.

K f (To1 , To2 , Zo1 , Zo2 , TM 3 , k ) (7)

Next, the efficiency optimization of the two types of transmission system will be studied.

3. Simulation and optimization

Fig.3 shows two transmission schemes, in which the scheme one is the first type and the scheme 2 is
the second type. For scheme one, the efficiency and the characteristic parameters of planetary gear trains
is related. For scheme two, the efficiency and the torque allocation of motors is closely related. Based on
the symmetry of the structure, the characteristic parameter of two planetary gear trains was assumed to be
the same for scheme one and scheme two, i.e., k1 k2 . In order to simplify the simulation calculation, the
power and torque are normalized in this paper.
M3
M1 M2 M1 M2

k1 k2 k1 k2

output1 output2 output1 output2

(a) (b)

Fig. 3 (a) scheme one (b) scheme two.

3.1. Scheme one

Fig. 4 efficiency of scheme one

 Mingfei Gao et al. / Energy Procedia 105 (2017) 2971 – 2976 2975

Fig.4 shows the simulation results of scheme one, the planetary parameters k varies from 1.5 to 4, and
the relative steering radius varies from 0.5 to 100.
It can be seen from the simulation results that when the relative steering radius is larger, the efficiency
of the system and the parameter k is almost not related. When the relative steering radius is small, the
efficiency of the system and the parameter k are closely related. In fact, the efficiency of the system is
higher when the value of the characteristic parameter is larger.

3.2. Scheme two

Fig.5 shows the simulation results of scheme two. The torque of motor M3 varies from 0 to 1, and the
relative steering radius varies from 0.5 to 100.

Fig. 5 efficiency of scheme two

It can be seen from the simulation results that when the steering radius is larger, the efficiency of the
system decreases with the increase of the torque of the motor M3. When the relative steering radius is
smaller, the efficiency of the system increases with the increase of the torque of the motor M3. Therefore,
in order to improve the efficiency of the system, the torque of the motor M3 should be reduced with the
increase of the relative steering radius.

4. Conclusion

In this paper, the optimization for transmission system of electric drive tracked vehicles is studied. The
purpose of optimization is to obtain maximum system efficiency.
First, the power flow of the transmission system is analyzed. The transmission system is divided into
two types based on their kinematic and static characteristics. According to the characteristics, the factors
that affect the system efficiency are obtained. Secondly, the computer simulation for two kinds of
transmission mechanism is studied and some results are obtained. The results of this paper can guide the
design of the transmission mechanism of tracked vehicle. Also, the research method can be applied to the
transmission mechanism of tracked vehicles.
In the future, other factors that affect the efficiency of the transmission system will be further
considered, which will provide help for the design of transmission system.

5. Copyright
2976 Mingfei Gao et al. / Energy Procedia 105 (2017) 2971 – 2976

Authors keep full copyright over papers published in Energy Procedia

Acknowledgements

This work is supported by the National Science Foundation of China (NSFC) ‘51305032’.

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Biography
Mingfei Gao is currently pursuing the Ph.D in school of mechanical engineering from
Beijing institute of Technology. He current research interests is configuration topology
synthesis of vehicle transmission system.