Finite Element Analysis Of The Radial Tire Static Rolling Resistance

In this paper, layer elements, solid elements and general contact elements are used to simulate the composite structure of radial tire and a 3-D finite element model of radial tire (205/60R15) is successfully developed through the combination of ANSYS program and CAD. Boundary condition problem is successfully solved, i.e., the rigid body displacement of a tire subjected to vertical load and horizontal load can be limited by the normal reaction of the ground and the friction force between tire and ground. Use of such actual boundary conditions for the model is a characteristic of this paper.Stress, strain and deformation are analyzed for whole tire which are subjected to rim-assembly displacement, inflated pressure and vertical load. Based on the previous analysis, the effects of inflation pressure, vertical load, angle of the fiber in belt and elastical modulus of tire crown rubber, on the rolling drag of the driving tire and driven tire are analyzed. It is found that rolling drag decreases with the increase of the inflated pressure, with the increase of the angel of the fiber in belt, with the increase of the elastical modulus of tire crown rubber, but increase with the increase of the vertical load. Furthermore, the changes in contact pressure and contact footprint are dynamically simulated for driving tire and driven tire from its static state to the critical state of rolling.The result of the tire calculated from 3-D finite element model in this paper are reasonable and consistent with published experimental results, Thus it can lay a foundation for further analysis and design optimization for radial tire.