Numerical simulation of tire/soil interaction using a verified 3D finite element model

Abstract

The compaction and stress generation on terrain were always investigated based on empirical approaches or testing methods for tire/soil interaction. However, the analysis should be performed for various tires and at different soil strengths. With the increasing capacity of numerical computers and simulation software, finite element modeling of tire/terrain interaction seems a good approach for predicting the effect of change on the parameters. In this work, an elaborated 3D model fully complianning with the geometry of radial tire 115/60R13 was established, using commercial code Solidwork Simulation. The hyper-elastic and incompressible rubber as tire main material was analyzed by Moony-Rivlin model. The Drucker-Prager yield criterion was used to model the soil compaction. Results show that the model realistically predicts the laboratory tests outputs of the modeled tire on the soft soil.

Keywords

tire/soil interaction / finite element method (FEM) / soil compaction / stress distribution / inflation pressure

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