Sensitivity analysis of vibration characteristics and dynamic responses of a tracked vehicle

This study aims to establish an integrated sensitivity analysis framework for optimization and design of the dynamic performance of mechanical systems such as tracked vehicles, by combining the direct differentiation method (DDM) with the linear multibody system transfer matrix method (linear MSTMM). The rigid-flexible coupled multibody system dynamics model of a tracked vehicle is established using the linear MSTMM and validated through the modal test. Building upon the existing DDM-based eigenvalue sensitivity analysis method within the linear MSTMM, the DDM is embedded into it to enable programmable and efficient computation of dynamic response sensitivities for mechanical systems. The proposed approach is used to quantitatively evaluate the sensitivities of both natural vibration characteristics (e.g., natural frequencies and mode shapes) and transient dynamic responses of the tracked vehicle with respect to system parameters, successfully identifying critical structural parameters. Compared to conventional finite difference methods, the developed methodology eliminates sensitivity to perturbation step sizes. The contributions of this work lie in establishing a unified theoretical foundation and analysis framework for guiding dynamics optimization and design of mechanical systems, and extending the applicability of the linear MSTMM to sensitivity analysis of transient dynamic responses.