Abstract: The semi-track air-cushion vehicle (STACV) is a kind of off-road vehicle used for transportation in soft or wet terrain. It is of great significance to study the air-cushion system for improving the performance of the STACV. During the design process of the air-cushion system, the related parameters, such as fan rotational speed, equivalent clearance height, static air-cushion pressure convert ratio, etc., should be measured. In order to solve the problem that some parameters of air-cushion system are difficult to measure, the solving method for acquiring the relationships among the parameters of the air-cushion system is proposed. The air-cushion force test is carried out based on the self designed STACV prototype, from which the air passage characteristic curve, the relationship between air cushion force and suspension spring deformation are acquired; By using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation, the relationship between fan rotational speed and equivalent clearance height, the influence of equivalent clearance height to static air-cushion pressure convert ratio are analyzed; furthermore, by establishing the heave stiffness model of air-cushion system, the relationships between equivalent clearance height and stiffness parameters, such as equivalent vertical spring stiffness, etc., are analyzed. The results provide reference for the design of vehicle with air-cushion system.

Key words: Air passage characteristics, Air-cushion force test, Computational fluid dynamics simulation, Semi-track air-cushion vehicle