By the beginning of the sixties, the Special Design Bureau of the Plant. Likhachev completed the main work on the promising four-axle chassis ZIL-135. Soon, several modifications of this machine went into series and became the basis for a number of samples of military equipment for various purposes. The development of the existing design was continued, as a result of which several new experimental vehicles appeared, one of which was an all-terrain vehicle with an electric transmission ZIL-135E.
In mid-July 1963, a decree of the Council of Ministers of the USSR appeared, according to which the industry had to develop a new ultra-high cross-country chassis equipped with an electric transmission. The creation of such a sample was entrusted to a number of organizations, including the Moscow Plant im. Likhachev. SKB ZIL by this time had managed to study the subject of electric transmission, and therefore could cope with the task. At the same time, it needed the help of other enterprises involved in the production of electrical equipment.
Experienced all-terrain vehicle ZIL-135E in the museum. Photo State Military-Technical Museum / gvtm.ru
About a month after the release of the Council of Ministers decree, the collective of SKB ZIL, headed by V. A. Grachev formed the requirements for the future prototype. At the same time, A. I. Filippov. In September, the necessary documents, including the terms of reference, were sent to the State Experimental Plant named after Dzerzhinsky (later renamed the Moscow Aggregate Plant "Dzerzhinets"), which was asked to develop the necessary electrical devices. The leading designer of the all-terrain vehicle electrical equipment was V. D. Zharkov.
Only at the end of March next year, ZIL and the Autotractor Directorate of the Ministry of Defense signed a contract for the design of a new all-terrain vehicle. A little later, the military department allocated funds for the development of the project and the subsequent construction of an experimental electric ship.
It was proposed to create a new project on the basis of the existing one. It was proposed to use the latest ZIL-135K vehicle as a base for an all-terrain vehicle with an electric transmission. After the corresponding design revision, it was supposed to bear the name ZIL-135E. The project also received an unofficial name - "Electrokhod".
In order to preliminary work out the main solutions of the new project, in the middle of 1964, a mock-up was built with the unofficial name ZIL-157E. The serial ZIL-157 truck lost its standard transmission and rear bogie. A gasoline engine and a generator were installed in the van body, which supplied current to the motor-wheels. Such an electric ship showed not the highest characteristics, but still allowed collecting the necessary data. At the beginning of 1965, SKB ZIL analyzed the test results of an experimental electric ship and took them into account in further work on the main project ZIL-135E.
Machine configured for testing. Photo Kolesa.ru
To speed up the work and simplify the further construction of experimental equipment, the ZIL-135E all-terrain vehicle was decided to be made on the basis of the already existing ZIL-135K vehicle. It should have been reworked in a certain way to install new units, but at the same time it was possible to preserve a significant number of existing parts and assemblies. In the future, this was also supposed to facilitate the launch of mass production and the operation of equipment in the troops or the national economy.
The main design element of the experimental ZIL-135E was an oblong frame, borrowed from the base all-terrain vehicle. In front of it were the engine compartment and the cab. Other areas were intended for the installation of various equipment. The original ZIL-135K was developed as a cruise missile carrier, and therefore its cargo area had the maximum possible dimensions. There were several metal sheets of various shapes and sizes under the frame, which protected the internal units from negative influences.
The use of electric transmission has given certain advantages. The car did not need large and complex mechanisms to distribute power to the eight drive wheels; electrical devices took up much less space on the frame and inside the case.
The ZIL-135E project provided for the preservation of the power plant in the form of two ZIL-375 gasoline engines with a capacity of 180 hp each. Each engine was connected to its own direct current generator GET-120 with a power of 120 kW. Similar benzoelectric units were placed in the front of the frame, directly under the cockpit. On the sides of the hull were placed eight motor-wheels with DT-22 engines equipped with two-stage planetary gearboxes.
Section (left) and kinematic diagram (right) of the motor-wheel of the ZIL-135E machine. Drawing "Equipment and weapons"
As in other projects of the ZIL-135 family, it was proposed to use the so-called. an on-board transmission scheme, in which each of the engines transmitted power to the wheels of its side. In the case of the Electric Ship, this meant that each generator provided power to the engines on its side. Despite its complexity, this electric powertrain architecture offered certain advantages.
Even in the early stages of the design, it became clear that the used electrical units would be characterized by increased heat generation. As a result, the ZIL-135E received an advanced air cooling system for electrical equipment. With the help of a system of fans, air ducts and flexible hoses, the devices were blown with cold outside air. Centrifugal fans of Ts9-55 type and KP-2-320 fans-dust separators were tested in the cooling system.
The first version of the ZIL-135E project provided for the use of a chassis with rigid fastening of all eight wheels. The hubs of the motor-wheels were found to be too large for use with existing production car tires. First, this problem was solved by installing fiberglass wheels with tractor tires measuring 15.00-30, type Y-175A. Similar products were used in the early stages of testing. The first and fourth axles of the chassis were made steerable. The driver controlled the position of the wheels using a hydraulic booster.
Being a deep modernization of the ZIL-135K all-terrain vehicle, the new prototype with the letter "E" retained the characteristic design of the chassis with an uneven distribution of axles along the base. The first and third spacing between the wheels were 3 m long, the central spacing was 1.6 m. The wider areas between the wheels were used to install hydraulic jacks. The base chassis was intended for the missile system, and the "Electrokhod" on its basis retained the devices for hanging out before firing.
The car crosses the ditch. Photo Kolesa.ru
Experienced ZIL-135E received a serial four-seater cockpit made of fiberglass. A characteristic feature of the ZIL-135K chassis and machines based on it was the reverse slope of the frontal glazing, associated with the need to remove the reactive gases of the rocket being launched. Access to the cockpit was provided by a pair of side doors and overhead hatches. In connection with the use of the new transmission, the control post in the cab was supplemented with a number of special devices. The driver could control all the main instruments of the power plant and electric transmission.
The entire center and rear of the frame provided a large cargo area for target equipment or bodywork. Initially, on this site, the side body of one of the serial trucks was mounted, partially covered with an awning. The landing gear was noticeably larger than the body, which gave the all-terrain vehicle a specific appearance. Subsequently, a light closed van with seats for people and the ability to transport cargo was mounted on an experienced ZIL-135E.
The new all-terrain vehicle turned out to be very large. Its length reached 11, 45 m, width - 2, 9 m, height - 3, 2 m. Curb weight - slightly less than 12 tons. According to calculations, the ZIL-135E "Electric ship" could take on board up to 8, 1 tons of cargo and move on highways at a speed of 80 km / h. When entering rough terrain, he could overcome the most difficult obstacles and transport cargo in different conditions. The real characteristics of the machine were to be established during full-scale tests.
The assembly of units for the future prototype started in early October 1965. In the last decade of the month, the final assembly of the vehicle began, and on October 29, the ZIL-135E all-terrain vehicle drove through the plant for the first time. In mid-November, SKB ZIL held a technical council with the participation of representatives of plant No. 467 and the Auto-Tractor Directorate of the Ministry of Defense, in which specialists discussed the creation and operation of an electric transmission.
All-terrain vehicle on the water. Photo "Equipment and weapons"
On November 23, the experimental all-terrain vehicle set off on its own to the Research and Test Autotractor Range in Bronnitsy. In four days, the car covered 212 km, after which it returned to Moscow. After such a run-in, the "Electrokhod" was supposed to go to full-fledged tests.
At the same time, the Plant named after. Likhachev built an experimental vehicle ZIL-135LN, equipped with a hydromechanical transmission. It was proposed to test the ZIL-135E and ZIL-135LN together, and then compare the results. Both prototypes had the same engines and were equipped with 15.00-30 tires, which made it possible to fully compare the power plants and transmissions.
On a field with snow cover up to 450 mm thick, "Electrokhod" was able to accelerate to 17.6 km / h, showing an advantage over a competitor of 1.6 km / h. Both cars climbed a 12 ° slope covered with snow. Provided movement on 800-mm virgin snow. In all cases, the car with the electric transmission used the engine power more efficiently and therefore had some advantages. However, with a sharp redistribution of the load between the wheels, the fuses in the power circuits worked.
In the summer of 1966, the experienced ZIL-135E was repaired and modernized. The authors of the project decided that the rigid fastening of the first and fourth pairs of wheels did not justify itself. Instead of a rigid suspension, independent systems with torsion damping were installed. In addition, new wheels with fiberglass discs and 1550x450-840 wide-profile tires were installed. Such an upgrade of the undercarriage made it possible to increase the carrying capacity to 11.5 tons and the gross vehicle weight of 24 tons.
ZIL-135E during tests in the Pamirs. Photo "Equipment and weapons"
In the autumn of the same year, the updated "Electrokhod" went for tests, the purpose of which was to check the temperature conditions of the units. When driving on different surfaces with different loads, the maximum temperature on the brushes of generators and traction motors did not exceed 90-100 ° C. The current loads remained within the acceptable range.
In the summer of the following 1967, the experienced ZIL-135E and ZIL-135LN underwent stress tests on cobblestone, crushed stone, marshy and sandy tracks. The maximum travel speed reached 80 km / h, but the load on the wheel with the new tire was only 2.5 tons. Increasing the load to 3 tons reduced the maximum speed to 69 km / h. The car confidently moved through mud up to 500 mm deep and overcame 800 mm ford. Ditches 1, 5-2 m wide were overcome. At the same time, the wheels suspended in the air did not increase their speed of rotation.
In 1968, two all-terrain vehicles went to the Uzbek SSR to be checked at the sandy landfill near the city of Termez. Driving on hardened sands did not differ from working on dirt roads, although the increased air temperature led to greater heating of the units. The average travel speed was 38 km / h. All-terrain vehicles could travel along the dunes at a speed of about 5 km / h. On the crests of the dunes, cars were often hung out and stopped for a short time. A typical problem at this stage was the formation of steam locks in the cooling system, due to a decrease in speed at stops. Unlike the ZIL-135LN, the "Electrokhod" did not need to use the booster pump until the end of the movement. During the tests in the desert, two prototypes covered 1,300 km.
During inspections in the desert, it was found that the electric transmission is less difficult to operate. So, every 500 km of the track on the ZIL-135LN, it was necessary to lubricate the cardan shafts, however, with such maintenance, two crosses still broke. The motor wheels did not require such maintenance and never failed.
The only experienced all-terrain vehicle in the museum. Photo State Military-Technical Museum / gvtm.ru
In September 1968, two all-terrain vehicles were tested in the foothills of the Pamirs. At altitudes up to 1400-1500 m above sea level, vehicles with electric and hydromechanical transmissions showed similar results. Then the oil of the ZIL-135LN began to overheat. Later it was found that the transmission of this machine uses the energy of the engine less efficiently and therefore loses in terms of capabilities to electrical devices. Mountain tests have shown that the ZIL-135E needs some modifications to the chassis. In particular, the location of the braking resistors turned out to be unsuccessful: these devices were not sufficiently blown with air when driving and could overheat with the risk of failure.
The prototype ZIL-135E "Electrokhod" passed various tests in various conditions and showed very high results. In addition, the machine clearly demonstrated the advantages of an electric transmission over a hydromechanical one. For the entire time of inspections, the mileage of the car was 17 thousand km. Due to the imperfection of electrical equipment at the early stages of testing and debugging, breakdowns of traction motors took place. After SKB ZIL solved this problem, the all-terrain vehicle covered 8 thousand km without breakdowns.
After solving some remaining issues and correcting the last shortcomings, the all-terrain vehicle based on the ZIL-135E could be put into series. In 1969, an economic analysis of the project was carried out, which made it possible to represent the effectiveness of the production of such equipment. It was found that a car with electrical devices is much cheaper than a similar all-terrain vehicle with a hydromechanical transmission. At the same time, it turned out to be more expensive than traditional "mechanics".
The series already had several relatively cheap chassis of high and ultra-high cross-country ability, which were used in the construction of various military and special equipment. The leadership of the industry and the Ministry of Defense decided that in such a situation, the launch of the serial production of the ZIL-135E did not make sense. However, the developments on the topic of electric transmission have not disappeared. Calculations showed that such an architecture of mechanisms is of great interest in the context of the development of heavy-duty vehicles. Moreover, in parallel with the tests of the "military" ZIL-135E, preparations were under way for the serial production of the first mining dump trucks with electric motors.
Having become a self-propelled laboratory, the all-terrain vehicle received a closed van. Photo State Military-Technical Museum / gvtm.ru
Upon completion of all the necessary tests, the only built "Electrokhod" became a self-propelled laboratory. For the greater convenience of the researchers, a closed box body was installed on it, in which one or another equipment could be put. Until the end of the eighties, the unique machine served as a laboratory and worked at the ZIL testing and development base in the village of Chulkovo (Ramensky district of the Moscow region).
At the beginning of the last decade, the base of the plant was liquidated, and a number of equipment samples were transferred to the museum. Later, the only ZIL-135E changed owners, and since 2007 has been kept in the State Military Technical Museum in the village. Ivanovskoe. There are also several other unique samples of prototype equipment of the ZIL brand.
Even before the closure of the ZIL-135E project, the Special Design Bureau of the Plant. Likhachev received an order from the space industry. The enterprises of the latter needed a special transport vehicle with a high carrying capacity, characterized by high maneuverability. In 1967, on the basis of some developments on the "Electrokhod", a prototype ZIL-135Sh was created.
In the course of the ZIL-135E project, the specialists of the ZIL enterprise and related enterprises have accumulated solid experience in the field of ultra-high cross-country vehicles and electrical transmission systems. These developments could not be implemented within the framework of serial production of equipment based on the existing prototype, but they still found application in new projects. Another experimental project, as expected, did not reach mass production, but contributed to the development of domestic all-terrain vehicles.
