Contact analysis on huge crawler track wheel and track pad

A mathematic model of contact was established base on Hertz contact theory for researching the contact problem of huge crawler, and it was verified by the nonlinear contact finite element model using ABAQUS. Then relationships between load, geometry and contact pressure, contact ellipse were analyzed using the mathematic model. The results show that the influence scope of the contact area is small and the maximum equivalent stress occurs below the surface with a certain depth. The maximum contact pressure, which represents nonlinear variation with the load and the curvature of two contact interface, occurs in contact area center. Also, contact ellipse changes with the curvature, however the elliptical eccentricity does not vary with load. This study could provide a reference for huge crawler track wheel and track pad design.