WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind., May 23 (UPI) -- Purdue University mechanical engineers are helping the U.S. Army to design a portable test system for the eight-wheeled "Stryker" military vehicle.
The Stryker -- the Army's newest ground combat vehicle deployed in Iraq -- uses sound waves to detect damage to a key component in the vehicles' wheel assemblies.
"Excess dynamic forces can cause cracks to form in a critical component of each wheel assembly called the spindle, which supports the wheel," said Douglas Adams, an associate professor of mechanical engineering. "The cracks can grow large enough to cause the spindles to break apart. As with any wheeled vehicle, if the supporting spindle fails, the wheel might fall off. The inspection system looks for these cracks so that damaged wheels can be replaced."
The testing, which is expected to be introduced later this year, will be part of routine maintenance procedures.
"The Army has worked with Purdue to develop a proactive approach to manage the health of spindles in the field," Adams said. "Although this work has resulted in some important research findings, this is more than a research project."
Adams said the vehicle's suspension is "an engineering wonder," making detecting cracks especially challenging.
