Budget Hydraulic Drive Unit

[gawill]

Hello all,
I need advice on an idea that has struct me recently. Bear in mind that the least amount of money i spend, the better.
What im trying to a ccomplish is a self-contained, self-propelled transporter. In my line of business there is a need for a cheap atlternative to a Scheuerle (its worth the google). when weight is a small factor, but length is a huge factor- a $250000 piece of machinery is not plausible.
what i would like to do is use a small, inexpensive gerotor motor mounted on top of a rear-end out of a semi truck with 4.11 gearing. i think it can be done using a chain and sprocket reducing to about a 6:1 so my final reduction will be around 10:1 giving me about 57RPM at the wheels and 4.8 mph on standar height tires (appox 39"). this all using a 20hp engine to power a 2750in-lb motor.
will this set-up have enough umph to move appox. 50000 lbs negating rolling resistance, etc.?

 

[MikeHalloran]

Making one transporter from junkyard/inexpensive parts is certainly feasible.
Making a bunch of similar units is also feasible, and should scale linearly in money.
Making a bunch of modular units that interoperate and cooperate like a Scheuerle will be a bit more difficult, and won't scale linearly.
All of it will be much more expensive if you don't get some engineers involved now.

By 'involved', I don't mean that you ask questions of a bunch of anonymous engineers on the Internet, e.g. here, and then go build something like you think they said, find out it isn't what you want, and repeat.
I mean that you pay some engineers to work with you on your premises to convert your idea to reality.



Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

 

[hydtools]

Get a larger displacement motor and eliminate the speed reducer.

http://www.surpluscenter.com/item.asp?item=9-8092&catname=hydraulic

Reduce the input flow to get the speed you want. Pressure will still be there to generate the torque you want. The rest will be more involved.

Ted