Comparing the Dynamic Response of a Rolling Tire using Data Collected using a 3D Scanning Laser Doppler Vibrometer

Detailed tire response data is necessary to advance vehicle safety, and monitor real time tire health. This study presents a non-contact experimental method to measure the vibratory characteristics of a tire subject to shaker excitation and road rolling forces. A Global Electric Motorcars (GEM) E4 electric vehicle was mounted on a chassis dynamometer to simulate loading conditions in a controlled environment. Scanning laser vibrometry (SLDV) was employed to capture out of plane velocity responses across the tire surface using a three independent laser configuration. This technique enables visualization of mode shapes under static and dynamic excitation. The results from SLDV identified the tire’s dominant resonant frequencies and corresponding operating deflection shapes under both static and dynamic conditions at different velocities. The dynamic measurements revealed that the harmonics of rotational frequency dominated higher order structural responses. Incorporating a reference laser attenuated this effect, enabling cleaner observation of underlying mode shapes. This paper aims to feature the strength of the SLDV method and critically examined its limitations, in regards to tire dynamics research.