Numerical investigation of snow–rubber interaction and snow milling using a smoothed particle hydrodynamics approach

Abstract

Accurate modeling of snow-rubber interactions is essential for evaluating winter tire performance in numerical studies. The reliability of these simulations depends on precise material modeling of both snow and rubber, as well as the accuracy of the modelling methods. While rubber material models are well-studied, research on compacted snow, particularly at a density of 500 kg/m³, is limited. In this study, a Crushable Foam(CF) material model is evaluated against the Drucker–Prager Cap (DPC) model, previously applied to compacted snow. While the CF model provides a new perspective, the DPC model achieves stronger agreement with experiments and is therefore adopted for subsequent simulations. Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) and a hybrid SPH–FEM approaches are assessed to overcome the limitations of conventional Finite Element Methods (FEM) in handling large deformations. The hybrid SPH–FEM method demonstrates a favorable balance between accuracy and efficiency, reducing computational cost by nearly 50 % while maintaining strong correlation with experiments. In addition, snow milling simulations are conducted to examine the effect of lamella geometry on frictional forces, with results showing close agreement with experimental data. These advancements improve predictive capability, enhance efficiency, and provide a foundation for future large-scale snow–tire simulation studies.