Finite Element Analysis of the Rear Suspension of Amphibious Vehicle

Amphibious vehicles are multifunctional transportation tools that can operate on both land and water. In the military field, they can be used for beach landings, while in the civilian sector, they can be utilized for disaster relief and marine recreation. Their future development prospects are very promising. To improve the speed of navigation in water and reduce navigation resistance, designing the suspension to be adjustable in height is an effective method. The adjustable suspension must meet the shock absorption performance requirements while achieving a certain height adjustment function. Therefore, the force on the suspension link differs significantly from that of a conventional suspension. This paper focuses on the structure of the upper swing arm in the designed rotating adjustable suspension system. Based on two extreme working conditions of braking and steering, finite element analysis is conducted using Ansys software. Under the condition of meeting safety requirements, the suspension structure is optimized topologically, resulting in an 8.2% weight reduction of the upper swing arm and a 4.5% decrease in maximum stress value, thus satisfying the strength and lightweight requirements of the upper swing arm.