ヒステリシス特性を模擬した3次元弾性リングモデルによるタイヤ転がり面圧分布の実験的検証

抄録

The contact characteristic of a tire is fundamental property that significantly influences handling stability, ride comfort, and environmental performance such as rolling resistance and wear. Although it has been experimentally confirmed that the rolling contact pressure distribution of a tire exhibits circumferential asymmetry, a theoretical interpretation of this asymmetry is not self-evident. This study proposes a new tire mechanical model that calculates contact pressure distribution during tire rolling. The proposed model is a tire model that integrates a three-dimensional elastic ring model and brush elements of tread. The brush elements representing the tread exhibit variable stiffness, designed to emulate the hysteresis behavior of tires as confirmed through experimental observations. The validity of the proposed model was verified using an inner-drum tire testing machine equipped with road surface segments embedded with force sensors. In this model validation, the model parameters for sidewall and belt stiffness were theoretically calculated from tire design parameters, while the tread stiffness parameters were identified based on experimental results. The validation showed that the proposed model qualitatively reproduced the measured rolling contact pressure distribution with circumferential asymmetry in the contact plane. The proposed model is expected to be utilized in design studies aimed at achieving the desired tire contact pressure characteristics.