Calculating Tractive Effort on a Slope: A Case Study

  • Thread starter blaphysics
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In summary, the conversation involves a question about a car's tractive effort on a slope with various resistances. The individual asks for assistance and provides the steps they have taken, including calculating acceleration, inertia resistance, and gravitational resistance. They also question whether the tractive effort is the sum of all resistances.
  • #1
blaphysics
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I have a question here which involves a car of mass 2100kg going up a slope of 1 in 10, accelerating from 7m/s to 11m/s, through a distance 145m. There is also frictional resistance of 1.7kn. Essentially I would like someone to run through what I've done and offer any assistance if possible, which would be great (Ive tried to keep this short):

One of the questions in this scenario is to work out the tractive effort between the wheels and the slope:

  • Firstly I worked out acceleration via (change in speed/ 2 x (distance)) to get 0.24828m/s^2.
  • I worked out inertia resistance (ma), by multiplying the 2100kg by the acceleration, to get 521.38N
  • Did tan^-1(0.1) to calculate the angle of the slope as 5.71 degrees
  • Determine gravitational resistance using mgsin(angle), so 2100 x 9.81 x Sin5.71 = 2049.7N

Would I be correct in assuming that the overall tractive effort is 2049.7 + 521.38 + 1700 = 4271.04N, or am I doing something wrong here, this would essentially mean the tractive effort is the sum of everything resisting the vehicle?
 
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  • #2
Also, calculating work done during the acceleration:

This is force x distance, however would the force I use be the force determined previously (the tractive effort)?

Thank you for any help!
 
  • #3
That's how I would do it.
 

Related to Calculating Tractive Effort on a Slope: A Case Study

1. What is tractive effort?

Tractive effort is the force produced by a vehicle's engine or motor to move the vehicle forward.

2. How is tractive effort calculated?

Tractive effort is calculated by multiplying the vehicle's weight by the coefficient of friction between the wheels and the surface it is moving on.

3. Why is tractive effort important?

Tractive effort is important because it determines the ability of a vehicle to move heavy loads or climb steep inclines.

4. What factors affect tractive effort?

The factors that affect tractive effort include the vehicle's weight, coefficient of friction, and the power of its engine or motor.

5. How can tractive effort be improved?

Tractive effort can be improved by increasing the vehicle's weight, increasing the coefficient of friction between the wheels and the surface, or by using a more powerful engine or motor.

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