Analysis of Vibration Characteristics and Influencing Factors of Complex Tread Pattern Tires Based on Finite Element Method

Abstract

The vibration of the tires significantly impacts a vehicle’s ride comfort and noise level; however, the current analysis of tire vibration characteristics often involves excessive simplification in their models, leading to a reduction in model accuracy. To analyze the tire vibrational properties and the influence of its design and service conditions, a combined modeling technology was developed to construct a three-dimensional (3D) finite element model of a 205/55R16 specification radial tire with intricate tread patterns. The accuracy and reliability of the simulation model was verified through vibration modal tests. Based on the vibration mode theory, the Lanczos method provided by ABAQUS was adopted to analyze the modal characteristics of the tire under free inflation and grounded conditions, and the effects of different inflation pressures, loads, operating conditions, and belt cord angles on the tire vibration characteristics were analyzed. The results indicate that grounding constraints will suppress the low order radial modal frequency of the tire and enhance the lateral modal frequency. The higher the order of the tire vibration mode, the greater the impact of inflation pressure. As the operating conditions change, the modal frequencies of all directions have the same trend of change, and as the ground load increases, the tire is prone to misalignment at lower lateral frequencies. The radial and lateral grounding modes of the tire are slightly affected by the change of the cord angle in the belt layer, but the circumferential grounding frequency decreases as the belt layer angle increases. These research findings offer a crucial foundation for the structural design of complex tread pattern tires, and also serve as a reference for addressing vibration and comfort issues encountered in the tire matching process.