Development of a reduced-order modeling technique for granular locomotion

The work is aimed towards the development and expansion of a reduced-order modeling technique called granular Resistive Force Theory(RFT) for modeling wheeled locomotion on granular beds. A combination of various modeling techniques, namely plasticity-based continuum modeling, discrete element method (DEM) modeling, along with RFT and collaborative experimentation are used for evaluation and expanding upon the capabilities of granular RFT. A dimensionless formulation corresponding to the onset of catastrophic rise in slipping of wheels during granular locomotion is proposed. This limit also corresponds to the limits of the existing form of RFT in modeling wheel-granular media interaction accurately. Along with granular locomotion, general problems of granular intrusion have also been studied extensively using continuum modeling to characterize the general force response of different granular media based on various system parameters.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master

Department dc:contributor.department

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Mechanical Engineering

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2019

Author dc:creator

• Agarwal, Shashank(Scientist in mechanical engineering)Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Kenneth Kamrin.

• Mechanical Engineering.

Statement dc:rights

• MIT theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed, downloaded, or printed from this source but further reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/121854

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/121854