Editorial Type:
Article Category: Research Article
 | 
Online Publication Date: 04 Oct 2019

Rolling Resistance Calculation Procedure Using the Finite Element Method

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Page Range: 224 – 248
DOI: 10.2346/tire.19.170158
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ABSTRACT

Tire engineers are interested in predicting rolling resistance using tools such as numerical simulation and tests. When a car is driven along, its tires are subjected to repeated deformation, leading to energy dissipation as heat. Each point of a loaded tire is deformed as the tire completes a revolution. Most energy dissipation comes from the cyclic loading of the tire, which causes the rolling resistance in addition to the friction force in the contact patch between the tire and road. Rolling resistance mainly depends on the dissipation of viscoelastic energy of the rubber materials used to manufacture the tires. To obtain a good rolling resistance, the calculation method of the tire finite element model must take into account temperature changes. It is mandatory to calibrate all of the rubber compounds of the tire at different temperatures and strain frequencies. Linear viscoelasticity is used to model the materials properties and is found to be a suitable approach to tackle energy dissipation due to hysteresis for rolling resistance calculation.

Keywords: rolling; resistance; viscoelasticity; finite element
FIG. 1 —
FIG. 1 —

Coordinates system.

FIG. 2 —
FIG. 2 —

Rolling resistance calculation procedure.

FIG. 3 —
FIG. 3 —

Symmetric model generation from axisymmetric model.

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FIG. 4 —

Surfaces for convection heat transfer.

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FIG. 5 —

Tire three-dimensional finite elements mesh.

FIG. 6 —
FIG. 6 —

Linear viscoelastic model schematic.

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FIG. 7 —

Tire and path schematic.

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FIG. 8 —

Normal logarithmic strains along path.

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FIG. 9 —

Shear logarithmic strains along the path.

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FIG. 10 —

Spatial location of schematic of reference points.

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FIG. 11 —

Frequency spectrum of normal logarithmic strains.

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FIG. 12 —

Shear logarithmic strains of the frequency spectrum.

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FIG. 13 —

Stress-strain plot of the DMA test and FEM simulation.

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FIG. 14 —

Loss modulus test data at different temperatures.

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FIG. 15 —

Loss modulus master curve at 60 °C.

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FIG. 16 —

Thermal camera image of tire tread subjected to rolling resistance test.

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FIG. 17 —

Thermal camera image of tire sidewall subjected to rolling resistance test.

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FIG. 18 —

Tread temperature from thermal camera and calibrated simulation.

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FIG. 19 —

Sidewall temperature from thermal camera and calibrated simulation.

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FIG. 20 —

Temperature distribution of tire section at the end of the simulation.

Contributor Notes

1 Research Department, FATE S.A.I.C.I., Av. Blanco Encalada 3003, Victoria, Buenos Aires, B1644GPK, Argentina
2 Corresponding author. Email: pzitelli@fate.com.ar
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