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VehicleDriveCalculation PDF

The document discusses the key forces involved in calculating the power required to drive a vehicle: (1) road resistance, (2) force to climb grades, (3) force for acceleration, (4) air resistance for high-speed vehicles. It provides formulas to estimate each force by factors like vehicle weight, road conditions, grade, and speed. The total power is the sum of all these forces plus transmission losses. Formulas are given for torque, horsepower, wheel RPM, grade resistance, and other variables involved in sizing an engine and drivetrain components to meet the load demands.

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113 views

VehicleDriveCalculation PDF

The document discusses the key forces involved in calculating the power required to drive a vehicle: (1) road resistance, (2) force to climb grades, (3) force for acceleration, (4) air resistance for high-speed vehicles. It provides formulas to estimate each force by factors like vehicle weight, road conditions, grade, and speed. The total power is the sum of all these forces plus transmission losses. Formulas are given for torque, horsepower, wheel RPM, grade resistance, and other variables involved in sizing an engine and drivetrain components to meet the load demands.

Uploaded by

nithansa
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Vehicle Drive Calculations

The force to drive a vehicle is composed of the sum of (1) road resistance, (2) force
necessary to climb a grade, (3) force needed to accelerate to final velocity in the allowable
time, (4) force to overcome air resistance, on fast moving vehicles. Each of these forces can
be calculated or estimated from the formulas on this page, then added together. In selecting
an engine, allow enough extra power to make up for losses in the mechanical transmission
system including gear boxes, clutches, differentials, chain or belt drives.

Travel Speed in MPH (miles per hour) Acceleration of a vehicle is expressed


is found by multiplying wheel RPM wheel in this formula involving weight, accelerating
circumference. force, and time.
MPH = RPM d 336, or F = (V W) (g T)
RPM = 336 MPH d F is accelerating force in pounds.
d is wheel diameter in inches. V is final velocity in feet per second.
W is vehicle weight in pounds.
g is gravity acceleration = 32.16
Axle Torque for driving the vehicle is T is time in seconds that force acts.
found by multiplying drawbar pull (or push)
Note: The gravity acceleration symbol, g,
times wheel radius.
converts weight into mass.
T = F r or, F = T r
T is axle torque in inch pounds.
F is drawbar pull in pounds. Grade, in mobile work, is usually
r is wheel radius in inches. expressed in percentage rather than in
degrees. For example, a 10% grade has a
rise of 10 feet in a distance of 100 feet, etc.
Drawbar Pull to keep the vehicle in
steady motion on level ground depends Grade Resistance is the drawbar pull
on the road surface. The following figures needed to keep the vehicle in constant
are pounds of drawbar pull per 1000 lbs. of motion up a grade. This is in addition to the
vehicle weight. drawbar pull to overcome road resistance
as expressed by another formula.
Concrete. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 to 20 lbs.
Asphalt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 to 22 lbs. F = GR W
Macadam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 to 37 lbs. F is drawbar pull in pounds.
Cobbles. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 to 85 lbs. GR is grade resistance in percent
Snow. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 to 37 lbs. (20% is written as 0.20, etc.)
Dirt. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 to 37 lbs. W is gross vehicle weight in pounds.
Mud. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 to 150 lbs.
Sand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 to 300 lbs.
Air Resistance will be important only
on fast moving vehicles (over 20 to 30
Horsepower required on vehicle MPH).
wheels is torque times RPM:
F = FA 0.0025 MPH 2
HP = T RPM 63024 F is additional drawbar pull needed to
T is wheel torque in inch pounds. overcome air resistance.
FA is frontal area of vehicle in square feet.
NOTE: Additional HP is required at the
MPH is vehicle speed, miles per hour.
engine to overcome transmission system
losses.
Axles and drive shafts must have
a diameter large enough to transmit the
Conversion Formula between torque,
torque without excessive deflection. The
HP, and speed.
angle of deflection for a solid round axle
T = HP 63024 RPM may be calculated from this formula:
Torque values are in inch pounds.
A = 583.6 T L (D4 E)
A is angle of deflection in degrees.
T is applied torque in inch pounds.
Momentum of a vehicle is equivalent
L is shaft length in inches.
to that constant force which would bring
E is modulus of elasticity of material.
it to rest in one second by resisting its
(12,000,000 for steel)
movement.
D is shaft diameter in inches.
Momentum = Weight V g
Some authorities say that a steel shaft
Weight is in pounds.
should be limited to an angular deflection
V is velocity in feet per second.
of 0.08 degrees per foot of length to avoid
g is gravity acceleration = 32.16
failure.

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