Editorial Type:
Article Category: Other
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Online Publication Date: 01 Jan 2014

Modeling of Strain Energy Harvesting in Pneumatic Tires Using Piezoelectric Transducer

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Page Range: 16 – 34
DOI: 10.2346/tire.14.420102
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ABSTRACT

This paper presents an evaluation study of the feasibility of harvesting energy from rolling tire deformation and using it to supply a tire monitoring device installed within the tire cavity. The developed technique is simulated by using a flexible piezoelectric fiber composite transducer (PFC) adhered onto the tire inner liner acting as the energy harvesting element for tire monitoring systems. The PFC element generates electric charge when strain is applied to it. Tire cyclic deformation, particularly at the contact patch surface due to rolling conditions, can be exploited to harvest energy. Finite element simulations, using Abaqus package, were employed to estimate the available strain energy within the tire structure in order to select the optimum location for the PFC element. Experimental tests were carried out by using an evaluation kit for the energy harvesting element installed within the tire cavity to examine the PFC performance under controlled speed and loading conditions.

Keywords: tire deformation; strain energy harvesting; piezoelectric; TPMS
FIG. 1
FIG. 1

Cross section sketch of the 355.6-mm car tire and constructing components.

FIG. 2
FIG. 2

Normalized circumferential strain distribution in a rolling pneumatic tire on a hard surface under radial loading conditions.

FIG. 3
FIG. 3

The developed TPMS power requirement as a function of transmitting rate.

FIG. 4
FIG. 4

Tire test rig configuration.

FIG. 5
FIG. 5

TPMS and PFC energy harvester evaluation kit.

FIG. 6
FIG. 6

Evaluation kit-rim assembly.

FIG. 7
FIG. 7

A comparison of the accuracy of hyperelastic models with test data.

FIG. 8
FIG. 8

The relaxation test to characterize the viscoelastic properties.

FIG. 9
FIG. 9

Three-dimensional model developed by revolution of cross-section profile around the axis of rotation in Abaqus with special refinement on the contact region.

FIG. 10
FIG. 10

Validation of tire load/deflection from 3-D FE model using experimental data in 2.3 bars inflation pressure and a under 3000 N of vertical load.

FIG. 11
FIG. 11

Loading force generated by FE rolling simulation for a tire with 2.3 bars inflation pressure and under a 3000 N of vertical load.

FIG. 12
FIG. 12

Circumferential tire strain of the tire inner liner for the free rolling loading condition.

FIG. 13
FIG. 13

Normalized circumferential strain distribution in a rolling pneumatic tire obtained in physical test in comparison with FE results.

FIG. 14
FIG. 14

Contract pressure at contact patch for the tire under rolling state; (A) the braking state, (B) the nearly free rolling condition (C) the traction state under 2.4 kN tractive/braking force.

FIG. 15
FIG. 15

Circumferential tire strain of the tire inner liner for the three loading conditions obtained using FE under 2.4 kN tractive/braking force.

FIG. 16
FIG. 16

Energy requirement spectrum for the developed TPMS at different traveling speeds.

Contributor Notes

1 Presenter/corresponding author. Fusion Innovations Ltd., Research and Innovation Services, Birmingham Research Park, Vincent Drive, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2SQ, U.K. Email: A.E.S.Kubba@bham.ac.uk
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