Finite Element Modeling of an Aircraft Tire Rolling on a Steel Drum: Experimental Investigations and Numerical Simulations

Iulian Rosu,Hélène Elias-Birembaux,Frédéric Lebon

doi:10.3390/app8040593

Iulian Rosu, Hélène Elias-Birembaux + Show 1 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/app8040593

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Abstract

The aim of this study is to investigate the thermal evolution of an aircraft tire rolling at high velocities up to take off values. As this kind of experiment is difficult to realize on a real runway, experimental tests were realized on aircraft tires rolling on a steel drum. The rotating drum facility allows to apply variable velocities beyond the take off limits, at fixed skidding angles and loadings. The rolling conditions, vertical loading, velocity and cornering conditions were adopted to correspond to the real conditions of an aircraft tire running or skidding on a flat runway. In the experimental part, the influence of skidding angle, velocity and loading on the thermal evolution of the tire tread were investigated. The thermo-mechanical finite element analysis of a pneumatic radial tire structure was performed taking into account the hyper-viscoelastic rubber behavior, with heating mechanisms developed by the inelastic deformation and by friction. Three-dimensional finite element simulations of an aircraft tire rolling on a steel drum were carried out using Abaqus/Standard finite element solver. The comparison of the temperature distribution on the tire tread between numerical results and the experimental data shows the same overall tendencies. The good correlation between numerical and experimental data shows that numerical simulation could predict the thermal evolution of the tire in critical situations. The authors would like to mention that for confidentiality reason, certain numerical data could not be revealed.

Highlights

The development of aircraft with high performance characteristics has placed increased demands on landing gear and tire components
The previously presented measurements confirm that the thermal evolution of the tire tread is mostly influenced by the skidding angle followed by the velocity and loading
The good correlation between numerical and experimental data shows that numerical simulation could predict the thermal evolution of the tire rolling at velocities up to 114 km/h

Summary

Introduction

The development of aircraft with high performance characteristics has placed increased demands on landing gear and tire components. Aircraft tires have developed through the years to a point where the ratio of tire weight to aircraft weight has progressively decreased, due in part to improved tire cord materials, rubber compounds, and tire structural design. During landing and extreme cornering phases, aircraft tires are subjected to different mechanical and thermal cyclic loading scenarios. The tire undergoes significant vertical and lateral forces, internal and external thermal heating, generating severe wear. This last leads to loss of grip and efficiency which are critical for aircraft security. A need exists for the development of methods for predicting the strength limit, the thermal evolution of aircraft tires on some rational basis other than indoor testing

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