Editorial Type:
Article Category: Research Article
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Online Publication Date: 10 May 2019

Test and Simulation Analysis of Tire Inflation Pressure Loss

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Page Range: 329 – 353
DOI: 10.2346/tire.19.180195
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ABSTRACT

Tire inflation pressure loss is inevitable during tire service time. The inflation pressure loss rate (IPLR) is widely used to estimate the inflation pressure retention performance of a tire. However, an IPLR test is a time-consuming process that lasts 42 days for a passenger car tire and 105 days for a truck/bus tire. To perform a thorough study of the tire pressure loss process, based on Abaqus software, a finite element model was developed with tire geometry inputs as well as tire material inputs of both mechanical and permeability properties of the various rubber compounds. A new method—the ideal material method—is proposed here to describe the transient tire pressure loss. Different from the previous isotropic models, the cord–rubber system is described using orthotropic diffusivities, which were determined through air-pressure-drop tests then applied in the finite element model in this article. Compared with the standard IPLR test, the difference between the tire IPLR test and the simulation result is within 5%.

Keywords: tire inflation pressure loss rate; mass transfer; finite element analysis; orthotropic diffusivity
FIG. 1 —
FIG. 1 —

Tire inflation pressure loss rate tests.

FIG. 2 —
FIG. 2 —

Rubber samples used for rubber permeability testing.

FIG. 3 —
FIG. 3 —

The principle of differential pressure method.

FIG. 4 —
FIG. 4 —

Test sample for the air-pressure-drop test; the sample is from the carcass of the object tire.

FIG. 5 —
FIG. 5 —

The principle of the air-pressure-drop test.

FIG. 6 —
FIG. 6 —

The spherical single-layer membrane model.

FIG. 7 —
FIG. 7 —

The iterative cyclic diagram.

FIG. 8 —
FIG. 8 —

Normalized concentration curves and concentration curves of the diffusing phase in different base materials.

FIG. 9 —
FIG. 9 —

Simulation and test results of transient low-pressure chamber pressure (test gas: O2, rubber source: innerliner).

FIG. 10 —
FIG. 10 —

Cross section of some cord–rubber systems. The small black uneven areas at the center of the cord are the cavity formed by insufficient rubber penetration.

FIG. 11 —
FIG. 11 —

The finite element model of the air-pressure-drop test.

FIG. 12 —
FIG. 12 —

The orthotropic diffusivity of the cord–rubber system.

FIG. 13 —
FIG. 13 —

The result of the air-pressure-drop test; test sample is from belt ply.

FIG. 14 —
FIG. 14 —

The simulation results of the air-pressure-drop test under the different values of D11.

FIG. 15 —
FIG. 15 —

Modeling workflow of the tire IPLR simulation model.

FIG. 16 —
FIG. 16 —

The local coordinate system is assigned to the carcass and belt elements.

FIG. 17 —
FIG. 17 —

Boundary conditions of the IPLR model.

FIG. 18 —
FIG. 18 —

Normalized concentration distribution contour plot of nitrogen on the 42nd day.

FIG. 19 —
FIG. 19 —

Normalized concentration distribution contour plot of oxygen on the 42nd day.

FIG. 20 —
FIG. 20 —

Material distribution of the selected tire.

FIG. 21 —
FIG. 21 —

Test and simulation results of tire inflation pressure loss curve.

FIG. 22 —
FIG. 22 —

IPLR calculated by different methods. (A) Theoretical model. (B) Ignore cord–rubber system structure. (C) Isotropic model. (D) Orthotropic model. (E) Average IPLR from IPLR tests.

Contributor Notes

1 School of Automotive and Traffic Engineering, Jiangsu University, Xuefu Road 301, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, JS511, China. Email: liangchen@ujs.edu.cn
2 Corresponding author. School of Automotive and Traffic Engineering, Jiangsu University, Xuefu Road 301, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, JS511, China. Email: zhu_xinyu@foxmail.com
3 School of Automotive and Traffic Engineering, Jiangsu University, Xuefu Road 301, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, JS511, China. Email: glwang@ujs.edu.cn
4 Shanghai Technology Center, ExxonMobil Asia Pacific Research & Development Co. Ltd, 1099 Zixing Road, Minhang District, Shanghai, 200241, China. Email: owen.c.li@exxonmobil.com
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