Integration of ANCF continuum-based soil plasticity for off-road vehicle mobility in multibody system dynamics

In this paper, we outline the formulation and implementation of an inelastic continuum-based soil model in a multibody system (MBS) simulation environment. The generality of the approach allows for the simulation of general vehicle manoeuvres over unprepared terrain. Unlike other approaches, both the material and vehicle in this investigation can be altered independently. This ability allows for a greater degree of freedom in the design of computational models for the evaluation of off-road tracked vehicles. In this investigation, the soil model is developed using a hexahedral absolute nodal coordinate formulation (ANCF) finite element. The Drucker-Prager plastic material is used to model the behaviour of the soil and offers a good starting point for computational plasticity in terramechanics applications. A convergence study for a single link interacting with ANCF soil is provided. The capabilities and generality of this implementation is demonstrated using an armoured personnel carrier (APC) model.