THE CONTACT PATCH CHARACTERIZATION OF VARIOUS SOLID TIRE TESING METHODS BY FINITE ELEMENT ANALYSIS AND EXPERIMENT.

The solid tire performance can be characterized by the contact patch. The footprint is the particular method to achieve the contact patch between a tire and pavement. The flat surface is often equipped to support a pressure measurement film which is pressed by the tire tread. This derivative patch illustrates characteristic seems the probable result to predict tire performance. Practically, the contact patch happens by the rolling tire. To understand the patch characteristic, the contact patch between the rolling tire and pavement was studied. The 3D finite element model of solid tire which pressed on three different surfaces was developed. The experimental footprint on the flat surface was carried out to validate the finite element model. The contact patch of solid tire tread on the drum surface was investigated to discuss the effect of supporting floor under various testing method. The stress distribution in the solid tire model is the exceptional criteria to clarify the contact patch on the road. The developed models will be used to design the tire tread and pavement in the future work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]