The quantitative analysis and experimental verification of the tire static enveloping model using experimental modal parameters

Tire modal parameters reflect the natural properties of the tire. In the work by Dihua and Chengjian [Dihua, G. and Chengjian, F., 2003, Tire modeling for vertical properties including enveloping properties using experimental modal parameters. Vehicle System Dynamics, 40(6), 419–433], the tire-enveloping model established using experimental modal parameters can give a good quantitative description of the tire-enveloping phenomenon. On the basis of this description, this article deals with the quantitative analysis of the model with the modal order numbers taken into account and also considering the tire side wall non-linear stiffness. Comparison between the calculated results and those of an experiment specially carried out shows good agreement in every aspect. For example, the vertical stiffness errors are 4.67% and 10.6% for small (36% of load index) and very large (162% of load index) vertical loads, respectively; the maximum footprint length error is 6.48%; and the error of wheel center height fluctuation at the peak and valley of enveloping property characteristics with constant vertical load is 8%, and it is 9% of the vertical loads for corresponding characteristics with constant wheel center height. The analysis shows that the side wall non-linear stiffness plays an important role in the quantitative agreement between the calculations and the results of the experiment.