Pneumatic Damping of Vehicle Tires to Improve Ride Quality

A tire/wheel system with two air chambers connected by on orifice or capillary was studied to determine the potential for increasing tire damping to improve ride quality. 6-DOF computer simulations of automobiles and agricultural tractors showed that ride quality can be improved by increasing tire damping. A linearized tire model was used to demonstrate the damping concept's potential and the results were compared with a laboratory test using a conventional tire connected to a surge tank. Numerical methods were used to determine the damping obtained using a compliant auxiliary chamber. The study indicates that for vehicles without suspensions significant ride improvements are possible using conventional tires with small compliant auxiliary chambers, and for vehicles with suspensions, noticeable ride improvement could be achieved if new tire designs are developed in which a greater portion of the tire stiffness is caused by deflection induced pressure.