Effect of Material Models on Rolling Resistance of Non-pneumatic Tires with Hexagonal Spokes

A non-pneumatic tire (NPT) has a lot of applications and is a viable option for the future, as they do not possess the problem of blowouts and air pressure maintenance. In these NPTs, the air-filled part is replaced by a flexible structure capable of withstanding the weight of the vehicle and delivering optimum performance. In the present study, endeavors have been made to analyze the rolling performance of NPTs by considering a light commercial vehicle as an application. The NPTs with three different configurations are studied by considering three hyperelastic material models for the hexagonal spoke structure and shear band under various loading conditions. Initially, static analysis for the models is conducted in two dimension (2D) and three dimension (3D) to validate the results, and these models were further extended to rolling analysis. The rolling resistance and slip ratios are obtained and compared in both 2D and 3D analyses. From the results, the least rolling resistance was observed for Type-A with the Mooney-Rivlin material model for polyurethane. The present study also includes the effect of various tread patterns on NPT Type-A with the Mooney-Rivlin material model on rolling resistance, contact patch, and contact pressure.