Modal testing and finite element modelling of a reduced-sized tyre for rolling contact investigation

One of the main contributors to the generation of tyre/road noise is the vibrational mechanism. The understanding of the latter requires both numerical modelling of the tyre/road contact problem under rolling conditions and experimental validation. The use of a go-kart tyre presents advantages in comparison with a standard tyre due to its simpler structure for modelling and its reduced size that facilitates experimental studies in laboratory. Modal testing has first been performed on such a tyre for different inflation pressures to extract modal parameters (frequencies and damping ratios). The modal frequencies are stated to rise accordingly with the inflation pressure. Then, a finite element (FE) vibrational tyre model has been built and adjusted to reproduce similar vibrational characteristics as those obtained from measurements for each tyre inflation pressure investigated. Once validated, the FE model is to be used to simulate the dynamic behaviour of a tyre rolling over a single road asperity for further investigation of the dynamic tyre/road contact problem.