Estimation of the Friction Behaviour of Rubber on Wet Rough Road, and Its Application to Tyre Wet Skid Resistance, Using Numerical Simulation

Abstract

Tyre wet skid resistance greatly affects vehicle safety, and it is dependent on the frictional behaviour at the tyre–road interface; however, the currently available numerical models, using the finite element method, either neglect the road roughness or obtain the rightness using expensive computed tomography scans, rendering them inefficient and complex. This study aims to present an estimation method of rubber slides on a rough road, to study tyre wet skid resistance. A three-dimensional rough road model was established, using the harmonic superposition method; the sealing effect of the water film on a wet road was modelled in terms of the pseudo-hydrodynamic bearing effect; the contact pressure, hysteresis friction, and water film hydrodynamic lift force were calculated. Subsequently, a friction model was established that accounted for the road surface morphology, tyre properties, sliding speed, and contact pressure. The accuracy of the friction model was experimentally validated, using the published experimental results. The friction model was then adopted, to conduct a study of the wet skid resistance of a 205/55R16 tyre with two different tread patterns. The simulation results were consistent with the experimental results of braking distance on a wet road. Finally, the effects of road roughness, tread rubber, load, and inflation pressure on wet skid resistance were carried out and analysed. The works in this paper have important significance and practical value for the development of high-performance tyres.