2D FE–DEM analysis of contact stress and tractive performance of a tire driven on dry sand

Normal and tangential stresses acting over a contact interface of a tire driven on dry sand were investigated to expand the applicability of our model incorporating 2D FE–DEM with proportional–integral–derivative (PID) control. A simple averaging method for contact reaction was introduced: computational segments were defined over the lower half part of the tire circumference that translates without rotation with the tire; then the contact stresses were calculated segment by segment. For the analysis, it was assumed that the tire was in rigid contact mode and that it would travel on the model sand terrain in stationary condition. The integration of normal and tangential contact stresses with respect to the angle of rotation was then applied to calculate the vertical contact load, gross tractive effort, net traction, and running resistance of the tire by parametric (or semi-empirical) analysis. The result of tractive performance obtained through the parametric analysis was found to be similar to the result of tractive performance obtained directly using FE–DEM analysis. A forward shift of the consistent angle of rotation for maximum normal contact stress and that for maximum tangential contact stress with the increase of slip from 22% was also observed in the FE–DEM result.     

Tire tread pattern design trigger on the stress distribution over rigid surfaces and soil compaction

Studies comparing the structural differences of tires have not qualitatively or quantitatively considered the effects of tread geometry on tire behaviour or the interactions of the tire with the surface. Therefore, to determine the effects of different tire tread patterns on the stress distribution of the tire and soil compaction, we compared the structural behaviours of a high-flotation tractive-tread (TT) tire and a smooth-tread (ST) tire. The experiments were conducted over a rigid and over a deformable surface. The results from the rigid surface shows the influences of the tread pattern and sidewalls is dependent of the loads. Over the deformable surface, the contact area of the TT tire was larger than that of the ST tire. The inflation pressure (IP) was mainly responsible for the load support before the soil reached its maximum deformation. Next, the tread and sidewalls exhibited the same behaviour as observed on the rigid surface. In addition, we observed alterations in the balloon point with the tread geometry and the type of surface due to changes in the contact pressure. With carcass deformation, the volume of the tire was visibly reduced, which indicated that the IP could increase.     

Soil compaction and tires for harvesting and transporting sugarcane

Four tire types (A, block-shape tread; B, rib-shape tread; C, low-lug tread; D, high-lug tread) used to harvest and transport sugarcane were compared regarding the compaction induced to the soil. Tires were tested at three inflation pressures (207, 276, 345 kPa) and six loads ranging from 20 to 60 kN/tire. Track impressions were traced, and 576 areas were measured to find equations relating inflation pressure, load, contact surface and pressure. Contact surface increased with increasing load and decreasing inflation pressure; however, the contact pressure presented no defined pattern of variation, with tire types A and B generating lower contact pressure. The vertical stresses under the tires were measured and simulated with sensors and software developed at the Colombian Sugarcane Research Center (Cenicaña). Sensors were placed at 10, 30, 50 and 70 cm depth. Tire types A and B registered vertical stresses below 250 kPa at the surface. These two tires were better options to reduce soil compaction. The equations characterizing the tires were introduced into a program to simulate the vertical stress. Simulated and measured stresses were adjusted in an 87–92% range. Results indicate a good correlation between the tire equations, the vertical stress simulation and the vertical stress measurement.     

Algorithm and implementation of soil–tire contact analysis code based on dynamic FE–DE method

One of the fundamental problems in terramechanics is soil–tire system. Past achievements on this topic can be observed in various literatures. Fast development on CPU power of PC system enables us to apply numerical methods to this basic subject. Among others, finite element method (FEM) has been applied to simple problems of soil–tire system not only in 2D but also in 3D approach. However, it is noted that the current FEM technology cannot handle “singular” boundary conditions with sufficient accuracy of analysis. Typical example of this limitation can be seen in an application to traction tire–soil contact problems, where the contact point of tire lug tip behaves as the singular point of stress field. On the other hand, distinct or discrete element method (DEM) has in essence the capability of analyze microscopic deformation (or flow) of soil as many researchers have already been demonstrated. It is noted that DEM suffers large calculation time that is consumed not only at contact check between particulate elements but also at incremental time step. In our present study, we try to combine both merit of FEM and DEM together in order to analyze the soil–tire system interaction, where, for example, a tire and deep soil layer are modeled as FEM and soil surface layer as DEM. We propose simple algorithm of this FE–DE coupled method and sample program is developed that can solve some basic terramechanics problems in order to verify our idea. The obtained result shows qualitatively sufficient accuracy.     

The determination of deflection and contact characteristics of a pneumatic tire on a rigid surface

The contact pressure, contact area, contact width, contact length and vertical deflection of a pneumatic tire on a rigid surface depend on tire size, load and inflation pressure and can be derived by means of mathematical expressions. These expressions have been widely utilized and checked in practice for different tires.     

Dynamic load and inflation pressure effects on contact pressures of a forestry forwarder tire

A Trelleborg Twin 421 Mark II 600/55-26.5 steel-reinforced bias-ply forwarder drive tire at inflation pressures of 100 and 240 kPa and dynamic loads of 23.9 and 40 kN was used at 5% travel reduction on a firm clay soil. Effects of dynamic load and inflation pressure on soil–tire contact pressures were determined using six pressure transducers mounted on the tire tread. Three were mounted on the face of a lug and three at corresponding locations on the undertread. Contact angles increased with decreases in inflation pressure and increases in dynamic load. Contact pressures on a lug at the edge of the tire increased as dynamic load increased. Mean and peak pressures on the undertread generally were less than those on a lug. The peak pressures on a lug occurred forward of the axle in nearly all combinations of dynamic load, inflation pressure, and pressure sensor location, and peak pressures on the undertread occurred to the rear of the axle in most of the combinations. Ratios of the peak contact pressure to the inflation pressure ranged from 0 at the edge of the undertread for three combinations of dynamic load and inflation pressure to 8.39 for the pressure sensor on a lug, near the tire centerline, when the tire was underinflated. At constant dynamic load, net traction and tractive efficiency decreased as inflation pressure increased.     

Tire footprint characteristics as a function of soil properties and tire operations

The main objective of the following presentation is to examine the possibility of predicting agricultural tire footprint parameters under different operational conditions. The experimental part of the research involved the operation of two agricultural transport tires on two soils, under variations of tire load, inflation pressures and soil moisture contents. Results obtained show that tire footprint parameters, such as contact area, length, width and sinkage, can be reliably predicted using multifactorial linear and total regressions, within the range of recommended tire loads, inflation pressures and soil moisture contents around the plastic limit.     

轮胎有限元分析技术及其在轮胎结构优选中的应用

建立了一个轮胎结构有限元分析模型,考虑了轮胎变形的几何非线性、轮胎与地面和轮胎与轮辋的大变形非线性接触、轮胎的非均匀性、橡胶材料的不可压缩性和物理非线性及橡胶基复合材料的各向异性,此外,还探讨了这种轮胎有限分析模型在轮胎结构优选中的应用。     

Effect of friction on subsurface stresses in sliding line contact of multilayered elastic solids

A numerical integral scheme based on Fourier transformation approach is employed to investigate the effect of friction on subsurface stresses arising from the two-dimensional sliding contact of two multilayered elastic solids. The analysis incorporates bonded and unbonded interface boundary conditions between the coating layers. Two line contact problems are presented. The first one is the contact problem between a rigid cylinder and a two-layer half space and the second one is the indentation of a multilayered elastic half-space by a flat rigid punch. The effects of the surface coating on the contact pressure distribution and subsurface stress field are presented and discussed.     

Boundary film shear elastic modulus effect in hydrodynamic contact. Part II: influence of operational parameters

The present paper is the subsequent research of the first part (Theor Comput Fluid Dyn, 2009). It investigates the boundary film shear elastic modulus effect in a hydrodynamic contact in different operating conditions. The hydrodynamic contact is one-dimensional, composed of two parallel plane surfaces, which are respectively rough rigid with rectangular micro projections in profile periodically distributed on the surface and ideally smooth rigid. The whole contact consists of cavitated area and hydrodynamic area. The hydrodynamic area consists of many micro Raleigh bearings which are discontinuously and periodically distributed in the contact. The hydrodynamic contact in a micro Raleigh bearing consists of boundary film area and fluid film area which, respectively, occur in the outlet and inlet zones. In boundary film area, the film slips at the upper contact surface due to the limited shear stress capacity of the film–contact interface, while the film does not slip at the lower contact surface due to the shear stress capacity of the film–contact interface large enough. In boundary film area, the viscosity, density, and shear elastic modulus of the film are varied across the film thickness due to the film–contact interactions, and their effective values are used in modeling which depends on the film thickness. In fluid film area, the film does not slip at either of the contact surfaces, and the shear elastic modulus of the film is neglected. It is found from the simulation results that the boundary film shear elastic modulus influences are normally negligible on the mass flow through the contact, the carried load of the contact and the overall film thickness of the contact, and the boundary film shear elastic modulus would normally influence the local film thickness in an elastic contact when the local film thickness is on the film molecule diameter scale. It is also found that the boundary film shear elastic modulus effect has the tendency of being increased with the reduction of the width of a micro contact. It is increased with the reduction of the boundary film–contact interfacial shear strength or with the increase of the critical boundary film thickness, while it is strongest at certain values of the contact surface roughness, the width ratio of fluid film area to boundary film area, and the lubricant film shear elastic modulus.

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边界膜剪切弹性模量对于微接触性能的影响

建立接触模型,理论分析了微接触中边界膜剪切弹性模量对于接触性能的影响. 接触区由两平行平面形成,属一维接触. 上接触表面为粗糙表面,具有矩形微凸体. 下接触表面为光滑平面. 两接触表面均处理成刚性表面. 微接触区中充满流体. 它分成两个子区,在微接触的出口区由于极小的接触间隙充满边界膜,在微接触的入口区由于接触间隙较大充满流体膜. 边界膜和流体膜行为决定整个微接触性能. 当膜厚较大时,这里边界膜可看成纳米级薄膜. 由于上接触表面处有限的剪应力承受能力,边界膜可于上接触表面滑移. 设下接触表面处剪应力承受能力很大而边界膜在下接触表面不滑移. 由于边界膜-接触表面间相互作用,边界膜黏度、密度和剪切弹性模量均沿膜厚变化,在理论分析中使用它们的等效值,这些值与边界膜厚度有关. 流体膜在两个接触表面均不发生滑移,分析中不考虑流体膜剪切弹性模量. 流体膜采用传统分析法. 给出了理论分析和若干变工况参数下的计算结果.      

橡胶复合材料结构大变形有限元分析

建立了一个橡胶复合材料结构有限元分析模型。在该模型中 ,考虑了轮胎变形的几何非线性、轮胎与地面和轮胎与轮辋的大变形非线性接触、轮胎材料的非均匀性和物理非线性及橡胶基复合材料的各向异性。此外 ,本文还利用该模型研制的有限元分析软件对全钢丝子午胎的变形轮廓进行了详细的分析。     

Determination of dynamic three-dimensional soil-tyre contact profile

A technique for measuring the dynamic three-dimensional contact profile between a tyre and deformable soil has been developed. The method involves measuring incremental lateral arc lengths of the profile at discrete locations along the contact length and fitting the coefficients of a model of soil deformation at the soil-tyre interface to the experimental data using a nonlinear constrained optimization algorithm (SUMT). Two representations of the measured contact area were compared: (i) the two-dimensional surface which is the union of all points on the original undeformed soil surface which undergo deformation by the tyre; (ii) the final three-dimensional deformed surface. Contact area measurements were made for two different sized tyres at two levels of inflation pressure, dynamic load and slip in two different soil conditions. The contact width, length and area predicted by the technique were compared with corresponding values for static contact between a tyre and a rigid surface.     

A tire–ice model (TIM) for traction estimation

Increased traffic safety levels are of highest importance, especially when driving on icy roads. Experimental investigations for a detailed understanding of pneumatic tire performance on ice are expensive and time consuming. The changing ambient and ice conditions make it challenging to maintain repeatable test conditions during a test program. This paper presents a tire–ice contact model (TIM) to simulate the friction levels between the tire and the ice surface. The main goal of this model is to predict the tire–ice friction based on the temperature rise in the contact patch. The temperature rise prediction in the contact patch is based on the pressure distribution in the contact patch and on the thermal properties of the tread compound and of the ice surface. The contact patch is next classified into wet and dry regions based on the ice surface temperature and temperature rise simulations. The principle of thermal balance is then applied to compute the friction level in the contact patch. The tire–ice contact model is validated by comparing friction levels from simulations and experimental findings. Friction levels at different conditions of load, inflation pressure, and ice temperatures have been simulated using the tire–ice contact model and compared to experimental findings.     

载重子午线轮胎三维非线性有限元分析

建立了一个轮胎结构有限元分析模型，考虑了轮胎变形的几何非线性，轮胎与地面和轮胎与轮辋的大变形非线性接触，轮胎材料的非均匀性，橡胶材料的不可压缩性和物理非线性及橡胶基复合材料的各向异性。结果表明，该模型有效可靠。     

Tire inflation and its influence on drawbar characteristics and performance – Energetic indicators of a tractor set

This work deals with the influence of tire inflation on tractive characteristics and performance-energetic parameters of a ploughing set. The test was conducted using two tire sets with different tire pressures under field conditions. Measurements of tractive properties were performed by setting travel speeds to 5, 8, and 10 kph, respectively. The ploughing set was operated at 8 kph, according to the manufacturer’s recommendation. The measurement results were processed graphically and mathematically into the Vehicle Traction Ratio, drawbar power, and slip characteristics. The tire inflation, reduced from 180 to 65 kPa and/or 75 kPa, of tires with wide treads (low-profile) resulted in increase of the front tire footprint by 24.7% and rear tire footprint by 31.1%. This change had a positive impact on the specific tractive fuel consumption that decreased in the range from 3.4% to 16.0%, depending on the travel speed. The results of performed measurements revealed that reducing the tire inflation of appropriate tires can improve the drawbar characteristics and consequently the fuel consumption.     

基于微凸体接触压力分布的粗糙表面法向接触建模

提出一种考虑微凸体弹塑性接触变形影响的粗糙表面法向接触力学模型。采用有限元模拟微凸体弹塑性接触过程,分析不同塑性屈服条件对微凸体接触载荷和实际接触面积的影响。再根据微凸体接触面上压力分布的变化规律,将微凸体的接触状态分为完全弹性接触阶段、弹塑性接触阶段、完全塑性接触阶段。分析接触面压力变化规律对微凸体法向接触载荷-变形的影响,再利用GW模型的数理统计分析的方法得到粗糙表面的法向接触载荷。将本文提出的模型与完全弹性模型、CEB模型、ZMC模型、KE模型、JG模型进行对比,并且研究了塑性指数对粗糙面接触载荷-平均高度距离的影响。结果表明,本文提出的模型能够更好地描述微凸体法向接触载荷与接触变形的变化趋势,模型预测粗糙表面法向载荷与ZMC、KE模型具有较好的一致性;粗糙面接触载荷随着平均接触距离增加而减少,随着塑性指数的增加,不同模型预测的法向接触载荷差异逐渐增大。     

Local contact characteristics of threaded surfaces in a planetary roller screw mechanism

Abstract

This study investigates the local contact characteristics of the threaded surface meshing of a planetary roller screw mechanism (PRSM). First, according to the threaded surface structure and threaded surface meshing characteristics, expressions for the principal curvature and principal direction of the contact ellipse at a contact point are derived based on the differential geometry theory. Next, based on a force analysis and threaded surface equations, an analytical model is established to calculate the dimensions and principal vector direction of contact ellipses on threaded surfaces. The elastic deformation and maximum contact stress are determined using Hertz elastic contact theory. Then, finite element (FE) numerical models for a single pair of threads at the screw–roller interface and the roller–nut interface are developed to calculate the contact area and maximum contact stress. The results are compared with those of the analytical model to demonstrate the validity of the analytical model. Finally, based on the analytical model proposed in this article, the local contact characteristics of threaded surfaces with various thread pitches, flank angles, and profile radii of roller threads are analyzed in detail.     

Boundary film shear elastic modulus effect in hydrodynamic contact. Part I: theoretical analysis and typical solution

Boundary film shear elastic modulus effect is analyzed in a hydrodynamic contact. The contact is one-dimensional composed of two parallel plane surfaces, which are, respectively, rough rigid with rectangular micro projections in profile periodically distributed on the surface and ideally smooth rigid. The whole contact is consisted of cavitated area and hydrodynamic area. The hydrodynamic area consists of many micro Raleigh bearings which are discontinuously and periodically distributed in the contact. Analysis is thus carried out for a micro Raleigh bearing in this contact. The hydrodynamic contact in this micro Raleigh bearing consists of boundary film area and fluid film area which, respectively, occur in the outlet and inlet zones. In boundary film area, the film slips at the upper contact surface due to the limited shear stress capacity of the film–contact interface, while the film does not slip at the lower contact surface due to the shear stress capacity large enough at the film–contact interface. In boundary film area, the viscosity, density and shear elastic modulus of the film are varied across the film thickness due to the film–contact interactions, and their effective values are used in modeling, which depend on the film thickness. The analytical approach proposed by Zhang (J Mol Liq 128:60–64, 2006) and Zhang et al. (Int J Fluid Mech Res 30:542–557, 2003) is used for boundary film area. In fluid film area, the film does not slip at either of the contact surfaces, and the shear elastic modulus of the film is neglected. Conventional hydrodynamic analysis is used for fluid film area. The present paper presents the theoretical analysis and a typical solution. It is found that for the simulated case the boundary film shear elastic modulus effects on the mass flow through the contact, the overall film thickness of the contact and the carried load of the contact are negligible but the boundary film shear elastic modulus effect on the local film thickness of the contact may be significant when the boundary film thickness is on the 1 nm scale and the contact surfaces are elastic. In Part II will be presented detailed results showing boundary film shear elastic modulus effects in different operating conditions.

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Mechanics of indentation for piezoelectric thin films on elastic substrate

Frictionless normal indentation problem of rigid flat-ended cylindrical, conical and spherical indenters on piezoelectric film, which is either in frictionless contact with or perfectly bonded to an elastic half-space (substrate), is investigated. Both conducting and insulating indenters are considered. With Hankel transform, the general solutions of the homogeneous governing equations for the piezoelectric layer and the elastic half-space are presented. Using the boundary conditions for a vertical point force or a point electric charge, and the boundary conditions on the film/substrate interface, the Green’s functions can be obtained by solving sets of simultaneous linear algebraic equations. The solution of the indentation problem is obtained by integrating these Green’s functions over the contact area with unknown surface tractions or electric charge distribution, which will be determined from the boundary conditions on the contact surface between the indenter and the film. The solution is expressed in terms of dual integral equations that are converted to a Fredholm integral equation of the second kind and solved numerically. Numerical examples are also presented. The comparison between two film/substrate bonding conditions is made. It shows that the indentation rigidity of the film/substrate system is lower when the film is in frictionless contact with the substrate. The effects of the Young’s modulus and Poisson’s ratio of the elastic substrate, indenter electrical condition and indenter prescribed electric potential on the indentation responses are presented.