A model for investigating the influence of road surface texture and tyre tread pattern on rolling resistance

Abstract

a b s t r a c tThe reduction of rolling resistance is essential for a more environmentally friendly road transportation sector. Both tyre and road design can be utilised to reduce rolling resistance.In both cases a reliable simulation tool is needed which is able to quantify the influence of design parameters on the rolling resistance of a tyre rolling on a specific road surface. In this work a previously developed tyre/road interaction model is extended to account for different tread patterns and for losses due to small-scale tread deformation. Calculated contact forces and tyre vibrations for tyre/road interaction under steady-state rolling are used to predict rolling losses in the tyre. Rolling resistance is calculated for a series of different tyre/road combinations. Results are compared with rolling resistance measurements. The agreement between simulations and measurements is generally very good. It is found that both the tyre structure and small-scale tread deformations contribute to the rolling losses. The small-scale contribution depends mainly on the road roughness profile. The mean profile depth of the road surface is identified to correlate very well with the rolling resistance. Additional calculations are performed for non-traditional rubberised road surfaces, however, with mixed results. This possibly indicates the existence of additional loss mechanisms for these surfaces.

A rolling resistance estimate using nonlinear finite element numerical analysis of a full three-dimensional tyre model

“…Tyre hysteretic loss (rolling resistance) contributes significantly to the total energy loss and directly impacts the fuel efficiency, eventually, accounting for 5-30% of the fuel consumption of a passenger car, depending on driving conditions. 1,3,4 The figures are even higher for trucks and heavy vehicles, ranging from 15% to 40%. 1 Therefore, there is large potential to reduce a vehicle's overall fuel consumption by decreasing energy losses due to rolling resistance.…”

“…In 2006, fuel consumption of the road transportation sector was responsible for 23% of CO 2 emissions in the European Union. 1 The total annual CO 2 emissions in the United States exceeded 7 billion tonnes in 2010, of which the transport sector’s share was 29%. 2 The fuel efficiency of combustion engine cars in terms of the ratio of engine mechanical energy to fuel theoretical chemical energy is only about 10–40%.…”

“…1 The impact of reducing tyre rolling resistance goes beyond improving fuel economy and limiting operational costs and affects long-term environmental concerns being essential for a more environmentally friendly road transportation sector. 1,5 Hence, regulatory programmes are implemented worldwide to promote the use of transportation technologies that can enhance fuel economy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions of vehicles, creating a need for more fuel-efficient tyres. 3 However, energy loss from the rolling of tyres not only affects the fuel economy but also impacts the durability and tread-life of the tyre due to increased temperature under cyclic deformation.…”

Effective reinforcement of hydrogen‐bonding assembly silica‐graphene hybrid in natural rubber

“…In particular, the friction between rolling tires and the ground is a major factor in fuel consumption, which is considered to be the main obstacle to improving the range of common vehicles in actual road performance. [1][2][3][4] Carbon black (CB) is most commonly applied in rubber to enhance the physical and mechanical properties, including tear strength, hardness, and abrasion resistance, of almost all industrial rubbers. [5,6] But the source of black carbon is that fossil fuels which are a non-renewable resource, even tires made with CB have exhibited high rolling resistance.…”

Triboelectric Nanogenerator Boosts Smart Green Tires

“…Today, automobile is driven by either gasoline or electricity, the latter is attracting a wide range of interest due to environmental consideration, but its mileage remains to be improved. For example, friction between rolling tires and the ground eventually accounts for 5–30% of fuel consumption of a typical passage vehicle (not including braking loss) . The friction not only leads to raising fuel consumption, which mainly contributes to the source of pollutions including ozone, particulate matter, and other smog‐forming emissions, but also is accepted as the main hurdle of improving electrical vehicles' mileage in practical road performance …”