Editorial Type:
Article Category: Research Article
 | 
Online Publication Date: 01 Jun 2010

Winter Tires: Operating Conditions, Tire Characteristics and Vehicle Driving Behavior

,
, and
Page Range: 119 – 136
DOI: 10.2346/1.3428961
Save
Download PDF

Abstract

The modern development process of winter tires not only requires intense subjective and objective evaluation of the tire properties on the vehicle, but also requires knowledge about the influence of relevant tire characteristics on vehicle driving behavior. It is important to understand the influences of ambient conditions, such as temperature, track surface (asphalt vs corundum) and tire inflation pressure on tire behavior. Tire characteristic results of a parametric study, using a fully climate-controlled interior drum test stand will be presented. The effect on tire characteristics and the resulting vehicle behavior will be discussed using vehicle dynamics simulation. Furthermore the consequences for an optimal design of modern high performance winter tires will be presented.

Keywords: winter tires; cornering stiffness; handling behavior; tire temperature; ambient temperature; vehicle dynamics
Copyright: The Tire Society
FIG. 1
FIG. 1

Target conflict winter performance/dry handling.

FIG. 2
FIG. 2

Pattern stiffness winter vs summer tire.

FIG. 3
FIG. 3

Stiffness and hysteresis of winter vs. summer compounds.

FIG. 4
FIG. 4

Influence of ambient temperature on dry handling.

FIG. 5
FIG. 5

Cornering Stiffness Cα: Winter vs Summer Tire.

FIG. 6
FIG. 6

Test matrix 205/55 R16 91 H ContiWinterContact TS 810 S.

FIG. 7
FIG. 7

Cornering stiffness Cα in 205/55 R16 SSR winter tire: interior drum vs flat-trac.

FIG. 8
FIG. 8

Cornering stiffness Cα of 205/55 R16 ContiWinterContact TS 810 S, difference standard vs. SSR for inflation pressure 2.5 and 3.0 bar.

FIG. 9
FIG. 9

Influence of ambient temperature on cornering stiffness Cα standard and SSR winter tire, wheel load Fz=4000 N.

FIG. 10
FIG. 10

Influence of the drum surface on Cα; SSR winter tire, wheel load Fz=4000 N.

FIG. 11
FIG. 11

Influence of the ambient temperature on Cα of standard and SSR winter tire, inflation pressure 2.5 bar, wheel load Fz=4000 N.

FIG. 12
FIG. 12

Simulated influence of the ambient temperature on the steering wheel angle gradient.

FIG. 13
FIG. 13

Simulated influence of the ambient temperature on the vehicle side slip angle.

FIG. 14
FIG. 14

Example for transfer functions of differing tire sets.

FIG. 15
FIG. 15

Influence of the ambient tire testing temperature on the lateral transient response of the front wheel driven vehicle.

FIG. 16
FIG. 16

Influence of the ambient tire testing temperature on the lateral transient response of the standard driven vehicle.

FIG. 17
FIG. 17

Influence of the ambient tire testing temperature on the rear axle slip angle gradient in the single lane change of a standard driven vehicle.

  • Download PDF