NONLINEAR LATERAL AND YAW DYNAMICS AND STABILITY OF SNOWMOBILES

This paper takes a close look at the mechanism of locomation in snowmo biles. A mathematical model is developed taking into account the inher ent nonlinearities of the system. A piece-wise linear approach is pres ented. A nonlinear methodology is used to construct stability maps for the yaw dynamics. The strategy can be extended to assess the stabilit y in lateral slip of the snowmobile when negotiating a turn. The devel oped models and strategies are useful design tools for a wide class of snowmobiles.