Analysis of the Vibration Characteristics of a Moving Tracked Vehicle Considering the Powertrain Magnetorheological Damping System

With the increasing requirements for speed and travel distance in tracked vehicles on various terrains and the increasing mass ratio of powertrains, the vibration problem of high-power powertrains becomes a critical challenge. In this paper, in order to reflect on the vibration transmission relationship between the powertrain and the complex carrier, the magnetorheological damping system of a powertrain is studied in a whole vehicle model. The transfer matrix and equations of each component, including the magnetorheological mount, are derived by the Rui Method. Then, the electromechanical coupling multibody dynamic model of the vehicle–powertrain magnetorheological damping system is established. Consequently, the fast solution of vehicle–powertrain vibration characteristics under various road excitations is realized. The dynamic and static coupling characteristics of the powertrain system and the factors affecting its performance are analyzed in a moving vehicle. The simulation results indicate that the vibration reduction performance is the worst in the X-direction, whereas the vibration reduction performance is the best in the Y-direction. Under the E-class road condition at 10 m/s, the RMS acceleration reduction in the powertrain is 41.63% in the Y-direction relative to the chassis. Both the resonant frequency of the powertrain and chassis are 86.93 Hz in the Y-direction. Finally, the accuracy of the results is verified by simulation and driving experiments. The research results can provide theoretical guidance for the design and optimization of the powertrain mount of a tracked vehicle. Moreover, it provides a new technical means of studying the vibration characteristics of a complex multibody system. The simulation results demonstrate notable directional variations in the vibration attenuation performance of the powertrain damping system. Specifically, the X-direction shows the poorest vibration attenuation, whereas the Y-direction exhibits the best damping characteristics.