An energetic approach to model the relationship between tire rolling friction and road surface macrotexture

Abstract

To investigate the relationship between tire rolling friction and road surface texture, a model based on the energy dissipated by a rubber block when it is deformed cyclically by road surface asperities is proposed. The effects of speed and temperature are considered using time-temperature superposition and the Williams-Landel-Ferry equations. The model is applied to texture profiles, measured using a laser profilometer, and filtered to simulate the envelopment of road surfaces by a tire, to estimate the dissipated energy and deduce the coefficient of rolling friction. The comparison between the model and the experiments, obtained by measurements performed on road samples in the laboratory, shows a fair correlation between the predicted and measured coefficients of rolling friction, this depending on the type of surface studied. Discussions are made to explain the gap between the model and the experiments and identify perspectives for future investigations.