A sensitivity analysis of design attributes and operating conditions on tyre operating temperatures and rolling resistance using finite element analysis

The hysteresis characteristics of tyre materials primarily contribute to operating temperatures and rolling resistance. The experimental results of these characteristics measured for different tyres at various operating conditions, pavement surface texture, and tyre wear clearly indicate a complex relationship among various design attributes and operating conditions. It is extremely difficult to develop analytical models that can be used to study these complex relationships and, therefore, one should rely completely on experimental results. However, experimental techniques to study these tyre characteristics are highly expensive and complex. In addition to this, the manufacture of an actual tyre for each design alternative will increase significantly the tyre development cycle and, in addition, have a severe impact on the overall economy. In this study, a three-stage sequential model using finite element (FE) technique is used to determine these characteristics for tyres with smooth and circumferential groove tread profiles. An FE algorithm is developed with Petrov - Galerkin Eulerian technique in cylindrical coordinates and is used to determine three-dimensional tyre-operating temperatures. A sensitivity analysis has been made with various operating conditions and tyre design attributes that will aid tyre designers to realize improved designs with reduced rolling resistance and acceptable temperatures. © IMechE 2006.