Physics of Snowmachining :: physics snowmobile snowmachine

Whether zipping along a winding trail, flying finished the open flats, or powering up a steep hill snow works and the passenger need to use physical science to stay in control of the machine and themselves. The main compenents be the track, engine, skis and riding.Snowmachine tracks argon essential to making a snowmachine move. invariably since snowmachines basic originated in the late 50s designers have been finding ways to meliorate traction in a variety of conditions. Some of these conditions are whimsical on groomed trails, not groomed trails, overflow, and deep snow.The very first snowmachines had tracks with very bad traction. But you must realize that they werent driving in the same conditions snowmachines of today can handle. Old machines were limited to readily utilize trails and very little powder. The tracks used on the old machines looked like the unrivalled shown in the picture below. The traction, the little raised bits of rubber, was minimal and the tracks wer ent very frugal either. The first attempts at making a track was using steel, which was similarly heavy, and rubber, which was to flexible and brittle at cold temperatures. Eventually manufacturers found the fundamental ingredients. Kevlar tracks with imbedded nylon strands to reinforce and improve strength. A kevlar track is now the standard in todays snowmachines. Another key ingredient to the track is the paddles. Paddles are the pieces coming reach of the track itself, a picture these paddles is shown below. This is what provides the traction for the snowmachine to move. In todays market these paddles have in sizes ranging from 1 inch to 3 inches. The saying bigger is weaken does not hold true for these paddles though. When the paddles get to big the rotating mass rattling bogs the machine down and reduces performance. Polaris Industries have found, through the use of physics and other tests, that the about efficient paddle length is 2.4 inches. This length gives the mos t grip in deep snow while still creation semi-economical on trails.Snowmachine engines come in two types, two-stroke and four-stroke. Two stroke engines are simpler, lighter, and cheaper to manufacture then four-stroke engines, plus two-stroke engines also have the potential to compact about twice the power into the same space because there are twice as many power strokes per revolution than in four-strokes. in that location are other advantages two-stroke engines have which include not having valves which lowers weight and eases construction.