A finite element modeling technique is employed in this paper to predict the force transmissibility of tire-cavity-wheel assembly under a free-fixed condition. The tire and wheel force transmissibility is factor in structure borne road noise performance. In order to improve structure borne noise, it is required to lower the 1 st peak frequency of force transmissibility. This paper presents an application of finite element analysis modeling along with experimental verification to predict the force transmissibility of tire and wheel assembly. The results of finite element analysis for force transmissibility are shown to be in good agreement with the results from the indoor test. In order to improve structure borne noise, it is required to lower the 1 st peak frequency of force transmissibility. And, the effect of the tire design parameters such as the density and modulus of a rubber and the cord stiffness on the force transmissibility is discussed. It is found that the prediction of the force transmissibility model using finite element analysis will be useful for the improvement of the road noise performance of passenger car tire.

The friction of road surface covered by snow or ice is very low and that results in reducing vehicle traction forces and potential traffic accidents. In general, to establish a master curve on a rubber-ice friction model is difficult because the ice surface, being not far removed from its melting point, reacts itself very sensitively to pressure, speed, and temperature changes. In this paper, an acceptable frictional interaction model was implemented to finite element method to rationally examine the frictional interaction behavior on ice between the tire and the road surface. The formula of friction characteristic according to temperature and sliding velocity on the ice surface was applied for tire traction analysis. Numerical results were verified by comparing the outdoor test data and it was confirmed to indicate similar correlation. It is found that the rubber-ice friction model will be useful for the improvement of the ice traction performance of tire.

The temperature distribution of steady state rolling tires with detailed tread blocks is numerically predicted using the three dimensional full patterned tire model. A three dimensional periodic patterned tire model is constructed by copying 1-sector mesh in the circumferential direction. Using the static tire contact analysis, the strain cycles during one revolution are approximated with the strains at Guassian points of the elements which are sector-wise repeated within the same circular ring of elements, by neglecting the tire rolling effect. Based upon the multi-axial fatigue theory, the maximum principal strain is used to represent the combined effect of six strain components on the hysteretic loss. In the following, the deformation due to the inflation and vertical load is calculated using ABAQUS. Then heat generation rate in each element is calculated using an in-house code. Lastly, temperature distribution is calculated using ABAQUS again. Through the numerical experiments, the validity of the proposed prediction method is examined by comparing with the experiment and the temperature distribution of a patterned tire model is compared with those of the main-grooved simple tire model.