Enhanced rubber friction model for finite element simulations of rolling tyres

Abstract

When simulating the behaviour of a rolling tyre, it is important to model the friction between the rubber tyre tread and the road surface. Friction tests were carried out over a range of different loading conditions, velocities, and temperatures. From an analysis of the experimental results, a phenomenological law for the friction coefficient has been proposed. This is incorporated into a finite element program. Comparison of the experimental data with finite element computations demonstrates the validity of the model. The main applications of the friction model are in simulations of the rolling tyre during braking and/or cornering. The results obtained include global braking and side forces as well as local mechanical processes in the contact patch, for example, the distribution of contact pressure and sliding velocities. From this, criteria for important aspects of tyre performance such as wear can be computed. Thus the tyre engineer is helped to understand and optimise tyre design with the aid of simulation.