Discretised standing-wave tyre model

Abstract

Highly accurate tyre models are needed to represent the road surface inputs, when conducting analyses of vehicle behaviour and vibration. The most widely used theoretical technique for modelling structures is the finite element method. However, a highly accurate tyre model is difficult to create with the finite element method because tyres have a complex composition consisting of rubber, plies, wires and other materials. A new experimental model parameter identification method is described. The method is based on the characteristic that cylindrical structures, such as tyres, are symmetrical with respect to their central axis. A new tyre modelling method, called the Discretised Standingwave Tyre (DST) model, is also described. It is based on the assumption that the modes obtained with our modal analysis method are standing waves. This method regards the tread surface as a uniform continuum in the circumferential direction. Our DST model is also used to conduct a prediction analysis of the transmissibility of the suspension, and the results are compared with experimental data to validate the model. The experimental and predicted results are compared for situations, where two different types of tyre are mounted on a double-wishbone front suspension to demonstrate the prediction accuracy of the DST model.