SHERP RUSSIAN GARAGASHYAN PRODUCTION TERRAIN VEHICLE, OVERVIEW OF SUSPENSION SYSTEM AND TRANSMISSION DESIGN, TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Off-road vehicles are of great interest for both military and for various civilian structures. New models of all-terrain vehicles appear quite often, both well-known manufacturing companies and single enthusiasts who are in love with their work are engaged in their development. One of the most interesting innovations of recent years was the Russian wheeled all-terrain vehicle Sharp, created by a St. Petersburg engineer Alexei Garagashyan. The development of the all-terrain vehicle began in 2012, and for the first time this car was presented to the general public in 2018.

Alexey Garagashyan is a fairly well-known person among lovers of off-road technology. He has several all-terrain vehicles with very high cross-country performance. However, it was Sherp that became the most successful design development, today this machine is mass-produced and is in fairly good demand. This all-terrain vehicle has an original design, which is a good mix of proven and original technical solutions.

By its cross-country ability, this Russian wheeled all-terrain vehicle is not only not inferior to the tracked models of such vehicles, but in many ways surpasses them. In addition, this machine is compact, excellent level of maneuverability, reliability and has a very spacious interior for its size.

Serial production "Sherpa" established in St. Petersburg.

Machine description

The first thing that catches the eye after a first look at the Sherpa all-terrain vehicle is its huge wheels. They measure 1600 x 600 x 25 and are the main highlight of the machine. It is thanks to the original design of the tires and the chassis of the Russian all-terrain vehicle "Sherp" can overcome obstacles up to one meter in height, climb steep slopes, swim. This car is absolutely no matter what is under its wheels: sand, snow, solid ground or marsh peat.

In an interview, Garagashyan noted that his all-terrain vehicle consists mainly of wheels, and the engine, transmission and chassis are only minor elements of his device.

Wheels "Sherpa" tubeless, low pressure. In order for the bus to perform its functions normally, the designer had to solve a lot of complex technical problems. The hardest thing was to ensure the normal interaction of the wheel and the disk.

The fact is that low pressure tires are often spontaneously disassembled during deformations, which, of course, is unacceptable. Therefore, for the wheels "Sherpa" had to develop additional mechanisms for mounting tires, all-terrain vehicle wheels also have a special design that prevents razbortirovaniyu. In addition, the wheel design prevents sticking of dirt and freezing of ice.

The creators of the all-terrain vehicle during their work had to face some problems associated with the design of tires that are in stock. Those samples that are mass-produced had to be refined, seriously changing the tread.

Sherp is equipped with an original centralized tire inflation system, to maintain the required pressure in the machine’s exhaust gases. The engine pumps the wheels to working pressure in fifteen seconds.

With the help of pressure changes in the tires, you can change the characteristics of the terrain of the machine, adapt it to different conditions.

The running system of the car has a very original design: the suspension itself is absent, the wheels are rigidly attached to the body of the all-terrain vehicle and cannot move vertically. The function of the suspension perform wheels.

All tires are connected to a single pneumatic system using large diameter pipes, and gases can move freely from one tire to another. When a front wheel hits an obstacle, the pressure in it increases, and gases flow into other wheels. The inventor himself called this system pneumo-circulatory.

Its main advantage is that when hitting any obstacle, the tire seems to cover it, ensuring maximum contact. Thus, the all-terrain vehicle maintains excellent grip on any type of track. However, there is a similar design chassis and some drawbacks.

Pneumo-circulatory system behaves well at medium and low speeds, at high speed it does not cope with the vibration, which causes an uneven surface.

The use of huge wheels in the design of the all-terrain vehicle was reflected in the design of the remaining elements of the machine, as well as its external appearance. In its proportions, the car body resembles a rectangle, in which the height of the all-terrain vehicle is almost equal to its width. The overall dimensions of the Sherpa are 3400 mm (D) x 2520 mm (W) x 2300 mm (H). The mass of the machine is only 1300 kg. The normal carrying capacity of the all-terrain vehicle is 500 kg. It is under such a load that Sherp can effectively overcome various obstacles.

The body is angular, inscribed in the space between the wheels. In its front part is the driver's cabin, behind it is a platform on which passengers or cargo are placed. Above the wheels are curved wings, connected by jumpers. The Sherpa case is steel.

In the central part of the machine is the engine and transmission. On the "Sherpa" installed diesel Kubota V1505-t, which develops power of 44.3 liters. with. and a five-speed gearbox. On the first machines, it was connected using a differential with ventilated brake discs, that is, it also performed the function of controlling the all-terrain vehicle. On production machines, this design was replaced by a friction-based steering mechanism.

In the driver's cabin are the gas and clutch pedals, as well as the gear lever. In addition, there are two levers connected to the hydraulic brakes onboard. So the Sherp is controlled like a tank: locking the wheels of one of the sides. This method of control provides all-terrain vehicle considerable maneuverability: it is able to make a turn literally in one place. True, this method of control imposes certain restrictions on driving a car.

Capacity of a standard fuel tank "Sherpa" - 58 liters. At the request of the customer, additional tanks can be installed in the wheel disks, their maximum volume is 200 liters. At an hour, the all-terrain vehicle spends 2-3 liters of fuel, depending on the complexity of the route.

The cabin is a place for the driver and another passenger, they are equipped with ordinary car seats and seat belts. Between the seats are gearshift levers and handbrake. Before the driver are indicators of control devices.

Due to the large diameter of the wheels, it is not possible to make side doors on the Sherpa. Therefore, a front ramp door is provided for landing in the cabin, which is located in front of the passenger seat. To enter it must be lowered, and the windshield - raise. The side windows of the cab are also raised and fixed in the desired position.

The rear platform is used to transport goods or passengers. The lower part of it is unchanged in all versions of the all-terrain vehicle, and the upper part may vary. The entrance to the back of the "Sherpa" is made through the aft folding door. There is a possibility for towing a trailer.

Due to the tightness of the hull, Sherp can overcome water obstacles. Movement in water occurs due to wheel spinning. The speed of the all-terrain vehicle on the water is 6 km / h.

On a normal road, the Sherp can accelerate to 45 km / h. The car can move on different types of surfaces, even with a small density. She swims well, can go ashore even in difficult conditions. The special pride of the creators of "Sherpa" is its unique ability to get out of the water on the ice.

Modifications

Today, there are two versions of the all-terrain vehicle, their differences are minimal:

"Standard". This version of the all-terrain vehicle has a fabric awning, three batteries, high-strength body painting, halogen headlights, interior liquid heater and engine insulation system. The cost of equipment - 3.85 million rubles.

"Kung". This modification has a hard kung and costs 250 thousand rubles more than the "Standard".

At the request of the customer, you can install LED headlights, an additional generator, a heater on the all-terrain vehicle, as well as make a trailer on which the Sherp can be transported.