Airbag Tire Modeling by the Explicit Finite Element Method

Abstract

Abstract An explicit finite element code FCRASH has been applied to both static and dynamic tire modeling. The computational procedure for predicting tire loads has been investigated. The typical tire model used in the simulation consists of a tire and rim. The tire is defined by membrane elements and the rim by rigid body with shell elements. The tire and rim form a closed volume. The airbag functionality in FCRASH, an explicit finite element code developed by Ford Motor Company, has been employed to simulate the test and to monitor the pressure and volume changes in the tire. Three static tire models (Taurus spare tire, P145/75R12, and P225/60R16) have been studied and the force-deflection curves are compared with test data. All of them exhibit a very good agreement. The standard spindle test for the P145/75R12 tire at three different speeds (10, 20, and 30 mph) is also simulated. The prediction of vertical and horizontal forces at 30 mph shows an excellent agreement with the test. The results for 20 and 10 mph are also reasonably good. The simulations for complex road conditions and full vehicle over bumps with a concept model are also performed as a feasibility trial. The CPU time used in both HP735 and CRAY computers for all these cases are comparable with other major CAE jobs. The experiments show that the explicit finite element code has a lot of advantages and strong potential to perform durability road load analysis with affordable computer costs.