Wave-number domain representation of tire vibration

Abstract

In the work to be described here, wave-number decomposition techniques have been used to study tire vibration. In the experimental component of this work, a tire was driven radially at a point on its treadband. Measurements of the resulting radial treadband vibration were made at approximately 200 points around the treadband circumference by using a laser Doppler velocimeter. From an inspection of the resulting space-frequency data, it was possible to identify the frequency ranges in which the tire responded either modally or nonmodally. Further, by performing a circumferential wave-number decomposition of the space-frequency data, the propagation characteristics of the wave types that contributed to the response of a tire could be determined. It was observed that a small number of circumferentially propagating waves combine to control the response of a tire in both low- and high-frequency ranges. The cut-on and propagation characteristics of these waves are closely related to propagating waveguide modes of flexural wave-bearing systems. Together, these results are consistent with a curved waveguide model of a tire. It is therefore suggested that a membrane-like waveguide model combined with a propagating wave representation of the tire vibration may offer an efficient way of representing tire vibration.