Abstract
Application of non-pneumatic tire (NPT) has been increased during the last decade. The aerodynamic characteristics of the wheel with NPT has been studied due to significance on improvement of handling and reduction of fuel consumption. In this paper, first, an original NPT model was simulated by CATIA software, and the influence of NPT structural parameters on aerodynamic characteristics was studied by Fluent software. The simulation calculation results showed that: the reduction of tire width and spoke length, and the increase of spoke thickness can effectively decrease aerodynamic coefficient. Then, the MIRA model was used to study the influence of NPT on aerodynamic characteristics of the whole vehicle under driving conditions. Studies showed that: NPT increased the resistance of the whole vehicle, and 63.1% of the resistance at the wheels was provided by the front wheels. Finally, the wind tunnel test was conducted to study aerodynamic characteristics of the optimized NPT model under static conditions and verify the simulation calculation.
Highlights
Pneumatic tire has occupied the tire market for over 100 years because of the advantages of good shock absorption, low contact pressure, and low cost
This paper aims to develop a framework to research the influence of non-pneumatic tire (NPT) structures on aerodynamic characteristics by numerical simulation and investigate the effects of NPT on the vehicle resistance by wind tunnel test, which can provide a theoretical basis for the design of nonpneumatic tire
Model H has a more obvious impact on aerodynamic characteristics of NPT, the aerodynamic drag coefficient is reduced by 4.66%, and the tire lift coefficient is reduced by 13.04%
Summary
Pneumatic tire has occupied the tire market for over 100 years because of the advantages of good shock absorption, low contact pressure, and low cost. Jin [7] investigated the static and dynamic behaviors of NPT with different honeycomb spokes and found that the maximum stresses in spokes and tread of a NPT are much lower than that of traditional pneumatic tires, but its load carrying capacity is higher than the latter. Due to the effect of the wheels, the flow field under the vehicle body is further complicated [10,11], and the result directly affects the aerodynamic characteristics of the vehicle. Previous research typically only investigated the external flow field of the wheel with traditional pneumatic tire. This paper aims to develop a framework to research the influence of NPT structures on aerodynamic characteristics by numerical simulation and investigate the effects of NPT on the vehicle resistance by wind tunnel test, which can provide a theoretical basis for the design of nonpneumatic tire
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