Chapter 12 - Computer-Aided Method NWVPM for Evaluating the Performance of Tyres and Wheeled Vehicles

Abstract

A computer-aided method NWVPM provides engineers in industry with a realistic and practical tool for parametric analysis of off-road wheeled vehicle performance and design. In NWVPM, both the normal (radial) pressure and shear stress on the tyre–terrain interface are taken into account. In NWVPM, the normal load on the tyre is considered to be supported by the vertical components of both the normal pressure and shear stress on the interface, whereas in the Bekker model, the normal load is assumed to be supported only by the vertical component of the radial (normal) pressure. The motion resistance acting on the tyre is due to the horizontal component of the normal pressure. The thrust developed by the tyre is due to the horizontal component of the shear stress on the contact patch. The resultant vertical reaction of the terrain and the motion resistance, and thrust of the tyre are obtained by integrating the appropriate components of the normal pressure or shear stress over the entire contact patch using numerical methods, thus avoiding the problem in the Bekker model using series approximation in the integration of the vertical component of radial (normal) pressure.