I have a design project, need help

[Kezington]

Hello i am a design student and for one of my external project i am designing a vehicle to handle harsh arctic conditions
It will be a expedition vehicle with not size restrictions, has to hold up to 6 people and it will explore and return to base.
Conditions will be dunes, harsh weather, ice, caves.
what would i be adding? tracks? larger wheels? cabin features? maybe even a robotic arm ? its very conceptual so do go wild with your ideas, if i like it will feature you guys a image.

no its not a primary school project
it is a conceptual project which will be featured on various professional design websites

thank you.

[V10 SPM]

If you are searching for inspiration I suggest you look here:
http://avtoros.info/en/landings/shaman/

[LandRoverManiac]

Kezington said:

Hello i am a design student and for one of my external project i am designing a vehicle to handle harsh arctic conditions
It will be a expedition vehicle with not size restrictions, has to hold up to 6 people and it will explore and return to base.
Conditions will be dunes, harsh weather, ice, caves.
what would i be adding? tracks? larger wheels? cabin features? maybe even a robotic arm ? its very conceptual so do go wild with your ideas, if i like it will feature you guys a image.

no its not a primary school project
it is a conceptual project which will be featured on various professional design websites

thank you.

I'm bored waiting for GT to buffer over our internet - so I'll make a few points. It depends on whether you are just doing a concept with fuzzy detail, or an engineering proof-of-concept which requires a bit more in the way of practicalities.

Define harsh arctic conditions - North Pole/Arctic Circle? Most commercial 4x4s and trucks are designed to run at up to -20C - beyond that you need to think about the engineering to lubricate the engine/drive-train, to start it from cold and prevent it all from freezing when it isn't running.

What range does it need? How much room for a payload/cargo/associated clobber does it need - besides the six people? More room, more weight (see below).

Very few vehicles would be designed without size restrictions - after all, if it is going to somewhere remote then it needs to be air-lifted (size/weight restrictions) or transported via sea (size restrictions more than anything). If it has to be used on any kind of public roads or to use civil bridges - it needs to be small/light enough not to cause complete mayhem. The bigger it is, the bigger the engine you'll need, more fuel you'll need to carry, etc. That makes it heavier still - engineering is like that.

Tracks are best for serious snow/terrain - low ground pressure and greater flotation over softer surfaces. However, tracks are also heavier and need a bigger engine/more fuel to drive - even kegresse-type rubber ones will weigh 1000kg plus per side. Metal linked ones are even worse weight-wise but more durable and easier to fix if they let go (if a rubber track goes - then you need to a fit a complete new one - metal ones are a case of replacing the damaged links in the chain).

Look at snow-cats for a rough idea of what I'm talking about (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snowcat) or the Hagglunds thingy (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BvS_10). The BVS can also float on the water - handy in the arctic if you happen to come across lakes which aren't frozen?

Hovercraft/air cushion vehicles are another strange but potential avenue (they simply hover above water/ice/snow - the air cushion does all the work) - but they drink lots of fuel and can't be used for certain tasks like towing or going up steep inclines. Look at (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zubr-class_LCAC) for inspiration from the slightly larger, wackier variety.

For wheeled vehicles - perhaps lookup the Top Gear Arctic Special and see the modifications they had to do to a Toyota Hilux in order to make it capable of crossing arctic terrain (even with JC at the wheel). Remember that they had a convoy of the lead Toyota and a support vehicle or two to assist when stuck.

Think about methods of recovery for when the vehicle does get stuck - you can't call the AA/RAC in the middle of nowhere - so you have to think about how the thing is going be able to get itself out of trouble. Winches. Ground Anchors. Waffle Boards/Bridging Ladders.

If want some ideas from the people who live where it is permanently cold and miserable - just look up the Russian Ural series (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ural-4320) or Zis trucks (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZiS-151) or their APCs (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BTR-70) - which will happily tackle anything along the lines you're thinking.

Notice the things in common - they are not pretty (function comes over form), they are simple and robust (less to go wrong, easy to fix), they are multi-fuel (able to run on diesel, parrafin, ethanol - whatever is available), they are designed with off-road geometry in mind (high ground clearance, good departure/approach angles) and they are designed for the extreme cold (fuel-burning heaters for crew compartments/engine bays). Other bits are tyre-pressure systems that enable them to alter their ground pressure (without the crew having to get out and faff around on each tyre in the cold). They are all sensibly-sized enough to be transported easily in an aircraft or boat or via the public highway.

Only once you've worked out the mechanics of how the thing will actually and reasonably work in the arctic - can you then think about the accessories like robot-arms, etc.