Modelling of Off-Road Truck Tire-Rim Slip Using Finite Element Analysis

Abstract

<div class="section abstract"><div class="htmlview paragraph">Slip or relative rotation between the tire and rim is a significant concern for vehicle operation and wheel manufacturing since it leads to wheel imbalance and vibration as well as power losses. A slip situation typically occurs due to improper bead lubrication and mounting, irregularities in the bead seat, and extreme loading conditions with high torques and low tire pressures. Currently, there are relatively few published studies on the tire-rim interface, and they mainly focus on topics such as the mounting process, load transfer, and friction modelling. This leaves a gap to explore the measurement and variation of gross tire-rim slip under the dynamic conditions of a driven tire. In this paper, a previously developed and validated FEA truck tire model was modified to include a frictional contact surface between the tire and rim, and then the slip ratio between the tire and rim was measured under different operating conditions. The new model’s static behavior was compared to the previously validated model with the fixed tire-rim connection, then the model parameters such as vertical load, inflation pressure, drawbar load, longitudinal wheel speed, and tire-rim friction were varied and their effects on the tire-rim slip of the driven truck tire were investigated. It was discovered that factors affecting the torque transmitted through the wheel, including the tire-rim friction, vertical load, and inflation pressure, had the most significant effect, while the longitudinal wheel speed had a minimal effect on the tire-rim slip. The findings of this research work will be useful for determining the tire-rim slip under various operating conditions.</div></div>