Radial vibrations of tire tread-band at different rolling speeds

The interaction tire-road at high speeds of rolling is a principal source of noise and vibration and influences the passenger comfort and safety. The paper presents the experimental and theoretical research on radial vibrations of tire tread-band at different rolling speeds. The experimental research involves the measurement of tread-band vibrations at 100 km/h, 140 km/h and 180 km/h rolling speeds. Also, the radial natural frequencies and corresponding mode shapes were measured. A two-dimensional finite element model was created for modal analysis and for study of tread-band radial vibrations at the mentioned rolling speeds. Likewise, the model enables the study of tire standing wave phenomenon. In order to correlate the model natural frequencies with the real tire ones, a model updating procedure was applied. The results offer useful information on the magnitude, on the circumferential distribution, and on the periodicity of tread-band radial vibrations. The comparison between the experimental and the calculated results indicates a good agreement. The tire finite element model presented in the paper may be included in the dynamic models of automobile running at high speeds.