Abstract
To select a more suitable turbulence model to study tire aerodynamics, the characteristics of a deformed profile of a 185/65 R14 passenger tire were reproduced using 3D printing technology. Based on the distance from automobile chassis to the ground, a partially loaded tire model with a height of 150 mm was selected in this paper, and the surface pressure coefficient of the tire model was determined using a wind tunnel test. A computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model was established according to the tire wind tunnel test. The surface pressure coefficient results of three turbulence models, shear stress transport (SST) k-ω, large eddy simulation (LES), and detached eddy simulation (DES) were obtained. Compared with the wind tunnel test results, the mean relative errors of the surface pressure coefficients predicted using SST, LES, and DES in the longitudinal section were 22.4%, 20.9%, and 14.8%, respectively. The LES and DES can capture details of the unsteady flow field that were not predicted by SST. By synthetically analyzing the results of the surface pressure coefficient and flow fields, the DES model is more advantageous than the other two models in predicting the flow characteristics around a statically loaded tire. This study can help designers in the tire industry to apply these cost-effective tools for minimizing the aerodynamic drag of a new tire design.
Highlights
IntroductionAn increasing number of steps have been taken by vehicle manufacturers and governments to reduce CO2 emissions
Due to global warming, an increasing number of steps have been taken by vehicle manufacturers and governments to reduce CO2 emissions
To analyze the influence of the tire shape on aerodynamic drag, Landström et al [6] conducted wind tunnel tests on two 205/55R16 tires, with these two tires having a 10 mm width difference, and the results revealed that the aerodynamic drag increased by about 2% for the wider tire
Summary
An increasing number of steps have been taken by vehicle manufacturers and governments to reduce CO2 emissions. Decreasing the aerodynamic drag of automobiles is regarded as an effective measure to reduce CO2 emissions. To understand the flow characteristics around the tire, a wind tunnel test was conducted by Fackrell, and the aerodynamic force of the tire was obtained by integrating the static surface pressure [5]. To analyze the influence of the tire shape on aerodynamic drag, Landström et al [6] conducted wind tunnel tests on two 205/55R16 tires, with these two tires having a 10 mm width difference, and the results revealed that the aerodynamic drag increased by about 2% for the wider tire. Hobeika et al [8] pointed out that the rain grooves have a positive effect on reducing tire aerodynamic drag by decreasing the pressure difference at both ends of the tire contact area. The lateral grooves have a negative influence on decreasing tire aerodynamic drag
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