Surface Shape Optimization of Tire Pattern by Optimality Criteria

Abstract

A new optimization procedure to design the surface shape of tire patterns is proposed in which the optimality criteria is combined with finite element method. The effectiveness of this new procedure to control tread-element contact pressure distribution was verified by building and testing the rubber block samples. The objective function was the pressure uniformity on the block and the constraint was to keep the contact area in the optimization process. The shape of the optimized surface was round at the edges and concave at the center where the pressure was large in the flat surface block. The pressure of the block with the optimized surface became uniform and the friction coefficient increased 10% on dry compared with the flat surface block. Furthermore, this procedure was applied to complicated block shapes such as tire patterns and it was verified that the optimized surface effectively improved vehicle handling, riding comfort and irregular wear.

Tyre Design and Optimization by Dedicated CAD Tyre Model

“…Similar approach to the change of tyre geometry was used by Cho et al [31] to optimize crown shape considering tyre wear by ANNs. Nakajima et al [32] used a procedure which combined optimality criteria with finite element method to optimize the contact pressure on tread block surface, considering nodal positions on block surface as the input parameters. Nakajima et al [14] also discussed the improvement of manoeuvrability and rolling resistance by Theory of Optimum Tyre Contour (GUTT) based on finite element method and an optimization technique, where the tyre contour was represented either by a polynomial or by several interconnected circular arcs.…”