Tyre-terrain interaction modelling and analysis: literature survey

Abstract

Depending on whether the vehicle is used off-road or on-road, the terrain on which it operates can range from hard surfaces to deformable surfaces, such as soil and snow. It is well known that the soft terrain characteristics have a significant impact on off-road vehicle performance, therefore modelling and analysing the soils and tyres are critical. This paper reviews the available published work related to tyre-terrain interaction modelling and testing. The tyre mechanics fundamentals, as well as the modelling and validation methods used for developing the finite element analysis (FEA) tyres, are discussed in detail. The techniques used for soil modelling and calibration such as FEA, and smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) are also discussed. In addition, the tyre-terrain contact algorithm is addressed.