Method of estimating the rolling resistance coefficient of vehicle tyre using the roller dynamometer

Abstract

The tendency in the past few years has been to introduce tyres with lower rolling resistance coefficients to the market. This paper presents a mathematical method for determining the rolling resistance coefficients variation depending on the speed. The method uses power balance which results from automobile dynamics while rolling on chassis dynamometer. The rolling resistance coefficients of tyres obtained through ‘drum test method’, for which the rolling resistance coefficients variation is known in terms of vehicle speed, are considered as reference values, while than rolling resistance coefficients of tyres obtained through ‘MAHA roller dynamometer’ using the recorded lost drag power in the roll-out phase on the stand are considered as tested values. The rolling resistance coefficients variation could be determined up to the maximum permissible speed of the tyre, for all wheels trained on the stand and not just for one tyre, as determined in laboratory conditions. The test conditions are similar to those in real road conditions, where the temperature of the environment and wheels cannot be controlled. The values obtained by the authors’ proposed method were compared with the values obtained by the ‘drum test method’. The main contribution of the proposed method is to estimate the rolling resistance coefficients without using a very expensive test facility.