The Finite Element Analysis Of Radial Tire With Complex Tread Pattern

Tire tread pattern is an important tire design parameter, which has a direct impact on driving performance and tire's life. Since 1970's, finite element analysis has been widely used in tire industry, but due to the complexity of tread pattern, the 3D tire analysis has been traditionally performed by either completely neglecting the tread pattern or including only the main circumferential grooves. There is no doubt that such simplified numerical models produce considerably poor numerical expectations of some major tire performances, particularly those associated with the tread pattern, so it is necessary to develop and improve finite element analysis for radial tires with complex tread patterns. Over the past ten years, many researchers on this subject undertook active exploration, but the related modeling and analysis techniques still have many deficiencies. In this background, this article presents a systematic research on the above problems.Based on the basic principle of combined modeling method (quasi-conformal mapping cluster), considering the characteristics of the contour curve in radial truck tire meridian plane is a circular arc, we simplified the combined modeling method (quasi-conformal mapping cluster) into combined modeling method (two circumferential conformal mappings), thus realized the transformations from surface to plane. This modeling method can effectively simulate the complex tread pattern, and get the complete, high quality hexahedral mesh.Based on the finite element analysis software ABAQUS, a three-dimensional finite element model of all steel radial truck tire 12.00R20 which considering the complex tread pattern was established using the combined modeling method (two circumferential conformal mappings), and related modeling techniques were discussed. Through comparing the numerical results in the case of static loading with the relevant data in GB, we verified that the finite element model is reasonable.Based on the above model, the tire/road contact behavior was analyzed for the tire with standard pressure in the cases of static loading, free rolling, braking, traction and inclination. The influence of different rolling states on the tire/road contact behavior was studied. The influence of different rolling states on the closed area of pattern groove was studied through the method of defining self-contact surface, and the results showed that this method is feasible and effective. In addition, the volumes of air in the pattern groove at different times in the rolling process were compared, and the result could be used as reference for tread pattern design.The implicit to explicit FEA solving strategy was founded to simulate the dynamic process of the tire rolling on uneven road. Some characters including load, deformation and contact pressure distribution were analyzed, and the influence of pothole on the load character of the skeleton structure of the tire was also investigated.