A 3D Shell Tire Model with Numerical Approximation

Tires are of particular significance in vehicle studies, as they are the connection between the vehicle and the terrain. The tire model proposed in this study treats the tire as an elastic circular cylindrical shell on a nonlinear elastic foundation, with the goal of addressing the need for quick and accurate estimation of tire performance. The mechanics and structure of a tire are reflected in the model, creating strong connections among the physical properties of the tire and the model parameters. The forces and deformation equations are derived analytically with the energy method and solved with numerical approximations. The equations address nonlinear stiffness contributed by different parts of a tire, providing high accuracy in terms of spindle force prediction and pressure distribution without involving intense computational effort. The model is calibrated with experimental data to identify its parameters and is then used to simulate tire performance under other conditions. The simulated results are consistent with the experimental results, with R2 values greater than 0.98.