> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://2025.istvs.org/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://2025.istvs.org/submissions/papers/4342.md). # 4342 - CORNERING PERFORMANCE OF RIGID WHEEL IN GRANULAR MEDIA USING COARSE-SCALE DEM MODELS {% hint style="info" %} Paper presented at ISTVS 2025 | 55th Conference of the International Society for Terrain-Vehicle Systems {% endhint %} **Authors:** *Aidan Dickerson, Bohumir Jelinek, George Mason, Thomas Skorupa, Michael Cole, Jody Priddy* **Keywords:** Off-Road Mobility; Tractive Performance; Discrete Element Method; Rigid Wheel; Side Slip **Abstract:** Understanding interactions of wheels and tracks with granular media under variable loading conditions, including longitudinal and side slip, is critical for prediction of mobility for wheeled and tracked vehicles in off-road environments. The discrete element method (DEM) is routinely used for modeling interaction of soil with track and tires, but the method’s accuracy needs to be better established. In this work, two DEM models from the Generic EDEM Material Model (GEMM) database from Altair®'s EDEM™ software package, which were identified (Jelinek et el. 2025) as the best match to physical experiments, are used to calculate tractive performance of a rigid wheel in sand under braked, towed, and powered conditions with side slip. The simulations follow the experiments by Shinone et al., 2010, examining a 165/60R13 wheel with constant circumferential velocity of 97.6 mm/s and vertical contact load of 980 N operating in powered conditions under forward slips in the range of -5.9% to 54.8%. The steady-state tractive forces on the wheel in sand were evaluated under the same forward slip conditions as in the experiment, except with added side slip of 3, 6, and 12 degrees. The side-slip effects on net traction, gross traction, and sinkage of the wheel in sand are evaluated by comparison with forward-slip-only results. Lateral forces and overturning moments were then calculated and compared with relevant relationships derived from physical measurement and other simulation methods. The results indicate a good match to experimental trends, encouraging further use and calibration of the DEM soil-wheel interaction models. --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com. ## Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter, and the optional `goal` query parameter: ``` GET https://2025.istvs.org/submissions/papers/4342.md?ask=&goal= ``` `ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. `goal` is optional and describes the broader end goal you are ultimately trying to accomplish on behalf of the user. GitBook uses it to tailor the answer towards what is most useful for that goal. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.