Tire thermal analysis and modeling
Abstract: Tires are of paramount importance in vehicle dynamics. They are the only vehicle’scomponents in contact with the road and hence transmitting necessary forces andmoments for the vehicle to accelerate, brake and turn. So far, temperature influenceon tire behavior has not hold car manufacturers’ interest so much. Tire models wereusually limited to be mathematical models taking into account tire and axle geometrymechanical properties, normal load and inflation pressure. However, some differencesappeared when comparing forces and moments estimated by tire models andmeasured test data. Part of these differences is now believed to be due to variation intire thermal properties when the tire is subject to different stress types (slip andcamber angles, normal load, inflation pressure, vehicle speed…).The aim of this study is to perform a thermal analysis of the tire. How its surfacetemperature varies depending on various conditions and how these variationsinfluence the tire behavior will be of prior concern. Hence, some indoor tests will beperformed by positioning the tire on the MTS Flat-Trac® III tire test system and usinginfrared sensors to measure the tire surface temperature. Experiments will be based onan experimental design where all the parameters believed to have an influence on thetire temperature will vary. Results will allow understanding which parameters are ofprimary importance for the temperature and will also be used to build up an empiricaltire thermal effects model. This latter will be used in parallel with the currently usedPacejka model and take into account the variation of tire performance in terms oflateral forces. Eventually, the validation of the model will be done performing fullvehicle tests.
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