Evaluation of Wear of a Tire Having a Non-Axially Symmetric Tread Pattern

Abstract

A method executed by a computer for evaluating the wear of a tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern, the method comprising: preparing a tire wear model configured to convert a friction energy rate into a wear energy rate; preparing a first three-dimensional (3D) model of a tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern; generating a plurality of simplified 3D models based at least in part on the first 3D model of the tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern; performing a plurality of steady-state transport analyses based at least in part on each of the plurality of simplified 3D models; post-processing the results of each of the plurality of performed steady-state transport analyses; and evaluating the wear of the tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern based on the post-processed results of the plurality of performed steady-state transport analyses and the wear model.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to a method and apparatus executed by a computer for evaluating the wear of a tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern.

Background Art

[0002] In the development of new tires, numerical simulation techniques have been widely adopted in recent years. Such virtual prototyping techniques can replace the production of a large number of experimental prototypes and field tests. As a result, advanced virtual prototyping techniques lead to a significant reduction in development costs and a shortening of the time to market. Ultimately, an effective and efficient virtual prototyping method is an important factor in maintaining competitiveness.

[0003] In addition to the above, the reduction in the number of prototypes produced makes the development of tires more sustainable by saving precious resources, reducing the amount of chemicals, and saving energy. Therefore, virtual prototyping techniques can be considered an important component in climate change countermeasures.

[0004] To perform effective virtual prototyping of a tire, an evaluation of the wear performance of the tire is required. In the prior art, several simulation-based methods for predicting the wear performance of a tire are described. The simulation techniques used include, for example, transient analysis, static rolling analysis, or steady-state transport analysis.

[0005] Transient analysis requires a lot of computing resources. When the underlying simulation model reaches a certain level of complexity, the above method can reasonably be used only on high-performance computer clusters. However, even in the above cases, transient analysis simulations generally require several tens of hours. Furthermore, the simulations generally exhibit numerical stability.

[0006] In contrast, more simplified options such as static rolling analysis ignore the dynamic effects of the tire and various material properties.

[0007] Steady-state transport analysis shows that there are some limitations in reproducing the actual physical phenomena of the tire in the contact area between the tire and the road when a tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern is involved.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

PROBLEMS TO BE SOLVED BY THE INVENTION

[0008] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a new method for overcoming the limitations in evaluating the wear of a tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern inherent in conventional virtual prototyping techniques.

MEANS FOR SOLVING THE PROBLEM

[0009] The above object is achieved by the present disclosure of various computer-executed methods and apparatuses for evaluating the wear of a tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern.

[0010] According to a first aspect, the present disclosure provides a method executed by a computer for evaluating wear of a tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern. The method includes providing a wear model of a tire configured to convert a frictional energy rate into a wear energy rate. The method further includes providing a first three-dimensional (3D) model of a tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern, generating a plurality of simplified 3D models based at least in part on the first 3D model of the tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern, performing a plurality of steady-state transport analyses based at least in part on each of the plurality of simplified 3D models, post-processing the results of each of the plurality of performed steady-state transport analyses, and evaluating the wear of the tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern based on the post-processed results of the plurality of performed steady-state transport analyses and the wear model. By the method of the present disclosure, the wear of a tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern can be evaluated by a high-speed, efficient, and high-precision method. This enables a rapid and high-precision characterization of the total life / mileage of the tire, thus paving the way for high-speed virtual prototyping techniques. By providing such techniques, a large number of amendments and / or optimizations regarding the tread structure and / or tire material can be evaluated in a very short time.

[0011] According to an example of the first aspect, the method executed by a computer for evaluating wear of a tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern further includes constructing a history of relevant indicators for evaluating the wear of the tire based at least in part on the post-processed results of each of the plurality of performed steady-state transport analyses.

[0012] According to a further example of the first aspect, generating a plurality of simplified 3D models based at least in part on a first 3D model of a tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern includes defining a first sector of the first 3D model of the tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern, creating a first simplified 3D model of the plurality of simplified 3D models of the tire based at least in part on periodically arranging the defined first sector circularly, defining at least one further sector of the first 3D model of the tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern, where the further sector is shifted by a predetermined angle relative to a pre-defined sector, creating at least one second simplified 3D model of the plurality of simplified 3D models of the tire based at least in part on periodically arranging the defined at least one further sector circularly.

[0013] According to another example of the first aspect, the predetermined angle ranges from 0.01° to 1° depending on the level of detail of the non-axisymmetric tread pattern, and the preferred range is from 0.15° to 0.35°.

[0014] According to yet another example of the first aspect, generating a wear model of a tire configured to convert a frictional energy rate to a wear energy rate is generated based at least in part on testing a block of the tire material at at least one of different slip speeds, loads, and slip distances by a linear friction tester, and generating a wearability model and a friction map based at least in part on the testing of the block of the tire material.

[0015] According to another example of the first aspect, the wear model of a tire configured to convert a frictional energy rate to a wear energy rate further includes providing an absolute value of local material wear based on the determined wear energy rate.

[0016] According to another example of the first aspect, the steady-state transport analysis is based on the arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian (ALE) method.

[0017] According to a further example of the first aspect, a first 3D model of a tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern is based on a finite element (FE) model.

[0018] According to another example of the first aspect, a relevant indicator for wear evaluation includes at least one of slip, pressure, and friction.

[0019] In one example of the first aspect, post-processing the results of a plurality of steady-state transport analyses involves obtaining the results of each of the plurality of steady-state transport analyses performed, where the results of each of the plurality of steady-state transport analyses performed include one or more simulated physical conditions contributing to tire wear; merging the results of each of the plurality of steady-state transport analyses performed, where the results are merged separately for each of the one or more simulated physical conditions contributing to tire wear; determining the contribution to tire abrasion based on the separately merged results for each of the one or more simulated physical conditions contributing to tire wear; and determining the average wear rate of a tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern. includes.

[0020] In a further example of the first aspect, a first 3D model of a tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern is configured to be modified by adjusting one or more design parameters or based on a previously evaluated wear of the tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern.

[0021] In a further example of the first aspect, a method executed by a computer for evaluating the wear of a tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern further includes preparing a second 3D model of the tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern, the second 3D model being different from the first 3D model. The method further includes generating a plurality of simplified 3D models at least partially based on the second 3D model of the tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern. The method further includes performing a plurality of steady-state transport analyses at least partially based on each of the plurality of simplified 3D models. The method further includes post-processing the results of each of the plurality of performed steady-state transport analyses and evaluating the wear of the tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern based on the post-processed results of the plurality of performed steady-state transport analyses and a wear model.

[0022] According to another example of the first aspect, the second 3D model of the tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern is configured to be modified by adjusting one or more design parameters or based on a previously evaluated wear of the tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern.

[0023] According to another example of the first aspect, a method executed by a computer for evaluating the wear of a tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern further includes identifying one of the first 3D model or the second 3D model of the tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern based on one or more predetermined criteria regarding the evaluated wear.

[0024] According to a second aspect, the present disclosure provides an apparatus for evaluating the wear of a tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern, the apparatus comprising means for preparing a wear model of the tire configured to convert a frictional energy rate into a wear energy rate. The apparatus further comprises means for preparing a first three-dimensional (3D) model of a tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern. The apparatus further comprises means for generating a plurality of simplified 3D models based at least in part on the first 3D model of a tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern. The apparatus further comprises means for performing a plurality of steady-state transport analyses based at least in part on each of the plurality of simplified 3D models. The apparatus further comprises means for post-processing the results of each of the plurality of steady-state transport analyses performed, and means for evaluating the wear of a tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern based on the post-processed results of the plurality of steady-state transport analyses performed and the wear model.

[0025] In an example of the second aspect, the apparatus comprises means configured to execute any of the methods disclosed herein.

[0026] According to a third aspect, the present disclosure provides a computer program comprising instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to execute any of the methods disclosed herein. The computer program may be stored on a non-volatile computer-readable medium.

[0027] Further benefits and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0028]

Figure 1

Figure 2a

Figure 2b

Figure 2c

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

[0029] The present disclosure provides a method executed by a computer for evaluating wear of a tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern.

[0030] FIG. 1 shows an overview of concepts underlying a method executed by a computer for evaluating wear of a tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern disclosed herein. According to the method of the present disclosure, a fast and accurate prediction of the wear behavior of each tire can be performed, at least in part, based on a computer-processed three-dimensional model and a wear model of the tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern. Generally, a wear model of a tire makes it possible to determine the wear of the tire, i.e., how the tread pattern of the tire deteriorates during use. In a broad sense, the wear model makes it possible to determine the life of the tire. Wear may depend in particular on the combination of the forces acting on the tire and physical conditions such as the mileage of each tire. The physical conditions may depend on various factors such as driving style, road type, vehicle load, etc. In this case, the wear model is particularly configured to convert the frictional energy rate into the wear energy rate. The wear model further makes it possible to determine various wearability parameters of the rubber material of each tire and the applied general substrate structure by establishing the relationship in which frictional energy is converted into wear energy at the contact point where the state is changing from the adhesive state to the slip state, i.e., by improving the description of not only the slipping phenomenon but also the rolling phenomenon. Note that in a complete slip state, all frictional energy can be converted into wear energy and the effects observed during the linear friction test can be reproduced.

[0031] The evaluation of tire wear by the method disclosed in this specification is further based on a first three-dimensional (3D) model of a tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern. The first 3D model is preferably a finite element (FE) model. In numerical finite element analysis, based on the 3D model and the wear model, the wear rate of a tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern can be predicted efficiently with high accuracy. Thus, first, various physical conditions such as the forces and speeds that affect the rolling tire are determined. In the second step, the physical conditions acting on the tire are converted by the wear model into contributions to the tire wear. Finally, the total wear and / or the total wear rate of the tire are evaluated. From this information, a prediction regarding the estimated total life of the tire can be performed.

[0032] In fact, numerical simulations of rolling tires having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern using conventional methods can be costly and time-consuming. As pointed out above, a trade-off needs to be made with respect to either computational resources, simulation time, or prediction accuracy.

[0033] In contrast to conventional methods, the computer-implemented method for evaluating the wear of a tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern disclosed in this specification can achieve both efficiency in terms of short simulation time, low computational resource usage, and low cost, and high accuracy of the wear of the evaluated tire.

[0034] When determining efficiency, the numerical analysis of a tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern disclosed herein involves generating a plurality of simplified 3D models based at least in part on a first 3D finite element model of a tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern. Each of the simplified models can be considered a snapshot of a more complex model of a tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern at different angular positions. To generate such simplified models, in a first step, a sector of a first 3D model of a tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern is defined. In subsequent steps, the simplified 3D models are generated by periodically arranging the defined sectors of the first 3D model in a circular manner. Based on each of the plurality of simplified 3D models, a simple and fast steady-state transport analysis is performed, which can be executed in parallel and can further significantly reduce the computational cost.

[0035] The high accuracy of the method executed by a computer of the present disclosure is achieved by how the results of each of the executed steady-state transport analyses are post-processed. From all of the executed steady-state transport analyses, one or more different physical conditions contributing to tire wear are determined and evaluated. In a further step, the results of the plurality of executed steady-state transport analyses are merged separately for each condition. Similarly, the overall contribution of each condition to tire wear is determined. Based on the contribution of each condition to tire wear, the overall tire wear rate contributing to the tire wear rate of each tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern is determined.

[0036] Figures 2a, 2b, and 2c show various steps of creating a wear model of a tire configured to convert frictional energy rate to wear energy rate according to the present disclosure.

[0037] Figure 2a shows a rubber block of a tire material. In order to characterize such a tire material with respect to abrasion resistance, wear characteristics, and thus overall lifespan, a linear friction test can be used. In the framework of such a linear friction test, a rubber block of the tire material between teeth is pressed against a test track using a predetermined vertical force. In a subsequent step, each rubber block sample slides along the test track with a predetermined speed profile. Based on such a series of linear friction tests, a friction map and other abrasion resistance parameters for a specific tire material can be obtained.

[0038] Figure 2b shows an example of a three-dimensional friction map of a specific tire material. On the z-axis, such a friction map shows the coefficient of friction μ of a specific tire material in response to the speed v (x-axis) in mm / s and the contact pressure p (y-axis) in N / mm 2 During the linear friction test, based on the measured vertical force and tangential frictional force, the coefficient of friction μ of a specific tire material exp is determined in association with a specific slip speed profile and a specific contact pressure. In order to create the friction map shown in Figure 2b, for a plurality of slip speed profiles and the contact pressure of the rubber block during the test, that is, by performing a series of multiple linear friction tests, the coefficient of friction μ exp should be determined.

[0039] With various fitting algorithms, a friction map for a specific tire material can already be created based on a relatively small number of linear friction tests. In Figure 2b, the values of the coefficient of friction determined by the actual linear friction test are indicated by black dots and represented as μ exp Subsequently, each friction map covering a wide range of speeds and contact pressures can be generated by each fitting algorithm.

[0040] In FIG. 2c, wear models fitted to various tire material blocks are shown. The wear models are obtained by a standardized fitting algorithm that correlates the frictional energy and the mass loss rate in the sample. The former is estimated based on the loading conditions, sample shape, and sliding distance, and the latter is the output of the linear friction test. Due to the nature of the experiment, the wear model at this point can be calculated from the mass loss recorded during the linear friction test performed under different conditions and the calculated frictional energy given by the measurement of the frictional force and the sliding distance. The wear model is described by the equation dVdt = A * dedt, which correlates the wear rate dVdt, i.e., the volume loss rate, with the frictional energy dedt, i.e., the product of the frictional force and the sliding distance, using the wear parameter A, which is the inherent resistance to wear of the material. Then, the parameter A is determined from the fitting of the experimental wear test by the angular coefficient. The x-axis in FIG. 2c shows the calculated frictional energy in Nmm / s, and the y-axis shows the mass loss rate expressed in mm 3 / s converted to volume loss.

[0041] FIG. 3 shows how, according to the present disclosure, the friction data enables the estimation of the distance at which the rubber block starts to slide during the linear friction test based on the friction data. The distance at which the block starts to slide is generally the point at which the wear rate is assumed to be constant. The x-axis in FIG. 3 shows each time in seconds during the linear friction test. The y-axis shows each friction coefficient of the rubber block. As can be seen, in various linear friction tests (indicated by different curve styles), within the first 1.5 seconds, the determined friction coefficient increases. Thereafter, the friction coefficient and the wear rate become constant. Finally, the sliding distance, i.e., the distance at which the wear rate is constant, can be determined. The frictional energy can be calculated from the sliding distance and the frictional force.

[0042] FIG. 4 shows an exemplary flowchart of operation 400 of preparing a wear model of a tire configured to convert a frictional energy rate to a wear energy rate. At 410, blocks of the tire material are tested by a linear friction tester at at least one of different slip speeds, loads, and slip distances. At 420, a wearability model and a friction map are generated based at least in part on testing of blocks of the tire material. In a preferred embodiment, preparing a wear model of a tire configured to convert a frictional energy rate to a wear energy rate further includes preparing an absolute value of local material wear based on the determined energy rate.

[0043] FIGS. 5A and 5B show an exemplary manner of generating a plurality of simplified 3D models based at least in part on a prepared first 3D model of a tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern. Each of the simplified 3D models of the prepared first 3D model of a tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern can be considered to be one snapshot obtained during a rolling process of the tread tire at different angular positions, assuming that the shape of the tire remains periodic.

[0044] FIG. 5A shows creating a first simplified 3D model of such a plurality of simplified 3D models, i.e., a first snapshot of a rolling process of a tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern.

[0045] Creating a first simplified 3D model of a tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern includes defining a first sector of a first 3D model of a tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern and creating the first simplified model based at least in part on periodically and circularly arranging the defined first sector. The sector angle of the defined first sector can depend on the physical characteristics of the tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern.

[0046] Figure 5b shows creating a second simplified 3D model of a plurality of simplified 3D models, i.e., a second snapshot of the rolling process of a tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern.

[0047] Creating a second simplified 3D model of a tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern involves defining a further sector of the first 3D model of the tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern, where the further sector is shifted by a predetermined angle with respect to a predetermined angle relative to a pre-defined sector, and creating the second simplified model based at least in part on periodically arranging the further defined sectors circularly. The sector angle of the further defined sector may depend on the physical characteristics of the tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern.

[0048] Based on the steps shown by Figure 5b, any number of further simplified 3D models of a plurality of simplified 3D models can be generated. The total number of simplified 3D models may depend on each sector angle.

[0049] The predetermined angle for shifting the further sector of one or more further simplified models ranges from 0.01° to 1° depending on the level of detail of the non-axisymmetric tread pattern.

[0050] FIG. 6 shows a flowchart of 600 for generating a plurality of simplified 3D models based at least in part on a first 3D model of a tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern. At 610, a first sector of a first 3D model of a tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern is defined. At 620, a first simplified 3D model of a plurality of simplified 3D models of the tire is created based at least in part on periodically arranging the defined first sector circularly. At 630, at least one further sector of the first 3D model of the tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern is defined, and the further sector is shifted by a predetermined angle with respect to a previously defined sector. At 640, at least one second simplified 3D model of a plurality of simplified 3D models of the tire is created based at least in part on periodically arranging the defined at least one further sector circularly.

[0051] FIG. 7 shows an exemplary simulation framework for a non-axisymmetric tire based on a method executed by a computer for evaluating wear of a tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern according to the present disclosure.

[0052] According to the method shown by FIGS. 5A and 5B, a number n of simplified models are generated based on a first 3D model of a tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern. In the example shown by FIG. 7, the sector angle of each of the number n of simplified models is 4.8648°. Thereby, the predetermined angle for shifting the defined sector of the first 3D model of the tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern, which is the basis for the subsequent two simplified models, is 0.125°.

[0053] For each of the number n of simplified 3D models, each steady-state transport analysis is performed, and the results of each of the n steady-state transport analyses performed are post-processed.

[0054] Post-processing the results of each of the n steady-state transport analyses further includes obtaining the results of each of the n steady-state transport analyses that were performed, and the results of each of the n steady-state transport analyses that were performed include one or more simulated physical conditions that contribute to tire wear. The physical conditions that contribute to tire wear can include at least one of lateral force, longitudinal force, and tire slip.

[0055] Post-processing the results of each of the n steady-state transport analyses further includes the results of each of the n steady-state transport analyses that were performed, and the results are separately merged for each of one or more simulated physical conditions that contribute to tire wear.

[0056] Post-processing the results of each of the n steady-state transport analyses further includes determining the contribution to tire abrasion based on the separately merged results for each of one or more simulated physical conditions that contribute to tire wear, and determining the average wear rate of a tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern.

[0057] FIG. 8 shows a flowchart of 800 for post-processing the results of each of a plurality of steady-state transport analyses. At 810, the results of each of the plurality of steady-state transport analyses that were performed are obtained, and the results of each of the plurality of steady-state transport analyses that were performed include one or more simulated physical conditions that contribute to tire wear. At 820, the results of each of the plurality of steady-state transport analyses that were performed are merged, and the results are separately merged for each of one or more simulated physical conditions that contribute to tire wear. At 830, the contribution to tire abrasion is based on the separately merged results for each of one or more simulated physical conditions that contribute to tire wear. At 840, the average wear rate of a tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern is determined.

[0058] FIG. 9 shows a flowchart of a method performed by a computer for evaluating the wear of a tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern.

[0059] At 910, a tire wear model configured to convert a frictional energy rate into a wear energy rate is provided. The wear model enables determination of a wear rate based on actual physical conditions such as, for example, the forces acting on the tire.

[0060] According to one aspect, the wear model is generated based on testing a block of the tire material at at least one of different slip speeds, loads, and slip distances by a generated linear friction tester, and generating a wearability model and a friction map based at least in part on the testing of the block of the tire material.

[0061] According to another aspect, providing a wear model for a tire further includes providing an absolute value of local material wear based on a determined wear energy rate.

[0062] At 920, a first three-dimensional (3D) model of a tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern is provided. The first 3D model of a tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern includes a high-precision model of the actual shape of the tire including the complete tread pattern.

[0063] According to one aspect, the first 3D model of a tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern is based on a finite element (FE) model.

[0064] According to another aspect, the first 3D model of a tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern is configured to be modified by adjusting one or more design parameters or based on a pre-evaluated wear of a tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern.

[0065] At 930, a plurality of simplified 3D models are generated based at least in part on the first 3D model of a tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern. Generating the plurality of simplified 3D models enables analysis of a tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern by a plurality of separate steady-state transport analyses.

[0066] In one aspect, generating a plurality of simplified 3D models based at least in part on a first 3D model of a tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern includes defining a first sector of the first 3D model of the tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern, creating a first simplified 3D model of the plurality of simplified 3D models of the tire based at least in part on periodically and circularly arranging the defined first sector, defining at least one further sector of the first 3D model of the tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern, where the further sector is shifted by a predetermined angle relative to a pre-defined sector, creating at least one second simplified 3D model of the plurality of simplified 3D models of the tire based at least in part on periodically and circularly arranging the defined at least one further sector. Further included. Each of the plurality of simplified 3D models can be considered as a snapshot of the rolling process of a tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern at different angular positions, under the assumption that the shape of the tire is periodic.

[0067] According to another aspect, the predetermined angle ranges from 0.01° to 1°. The predetermined angle can be modified, for example, based on the level of detail of the non-axisymmetric tread pattern of the tire to be analyzed, and the preferred range is from 0.15° to 0.35°.

[0068] At 940, a plurality of steady-state transport analyses are performed based at least in part on each of the plurality of simplified 3D models.

[0069] According to one aspect, the steady-state transport analysis is based on the arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian (ALE) method.

[0070] In 950, the results of each of the plurality of steady-state transport analyses performed are post-processed. The post-processing enables a combination of the results of a plurality of steady-state transport simulations based on each of the plurality of simplified 3D models so as to obtain an overall result corresponding to the result of the analysis of a tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern while reducing the consumption of time and computational resources.

[0071] In one aspect, post-processing the results of a plurality of steady-state transport analyses includes obtaining the results of each of the plurality of steady-state transport analyses performed, where each of the results of the plurality of steady-state transport analyses performed includes one or more simulated physical conditions contributing to tire wear; merging the results of each of the plurality of steady-state transport analyses performed, where the results are merged separately for each of the one or more simulated physical conditions contributing to tire wear; determining the contribution to tire wear based on the separately merged results for each of the one or more simulated physical conditions contributing to tire wear; and determining the average wear rate of a tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern.

[0072] In 960, the wear of a tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern is evaluated based on the post-processed results of the plurality of steady-state transport analyses performed and a wear model.

[0073] According to one aspect, a method performed by a computer for evaluating the wear of a tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern further includes constructing a history of relevant indicators for the evaluation of tire wear based at least in part on the post-processed results of each of the plurality of steady-state transport analyses performed.

[0074] According to another aspect, the relevant indicators for the evaluation of wear include at least one of slip, pressure, and friction.

[0075] In a further aspect, a method executed by a computer for evaluating wear of a tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern further includes preparing a second 3D model of the tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern, the second 3D model being different from the first 3D model. The method further includes generating a plurality of simplified 3D models based at least in part on the second 3D model of the tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern. The method further includes performing a steady-state transport analysis based at least in part on each of the plurality of simplified 3D models. The method further includes post-processing the results of each of the plurality of performed steady-state transport analyses and evaluating the wear of the tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern based on the post-processed results of the plurality of performed steady-state transport analyses and a wear model.

[0076] According to one aspect, the second 3D model of the tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern is configured to be modified by adjusting one or more design parameters or based on a previously evaluated wear of the tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern.

[0077] According to another aspect, a method executed by a computer for evaluating wear of a tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern further includes identifying one of the first 3D model or the second 3D model of the tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern based on one or more predetermined criteria regarding the evaluated wear. For example, a 3D model (including a specific tread pattern) of a tire having a non-axisymmetric pattern that exhibits the best performance with respect to a preselected specific criterion (e.g., life / mileage) can be identified.

[0078] FIG. 10 shows a block diagram 1000 of an apparatus for evaluating wear of a tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern according to the present disclosure. The apparatus includes a model generator 1030 for generating a plurality of simplified 3D models, a steady-state transport analyzer 1040, a post-processor 1050, and a wear evaluator 1060.

[0079] The model generator 1030 can receive a first 3D model 1010 of a tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern and a wear model 1020 of a tire configured to convert a frictional energy rate into a wear energy rate.

[0080] According to one aspect, the first 3D model 1010 of a tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern received by the model generator 1030 is based on a finite element (FE) model.

[0081] According to another aspect, the first 3D model 1010 of a tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern received by the model generator 1030 is configured to be corrected by adjusting one or more design parameters or based on a pre-evaluated wear of a tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern.

[0082] According to one aspect, the wear model 1020 received by the model generator 1030 is generated based on testing a block of the tire material at at least one of different slip speeds, loads, and slip distances by a linear friction tester and generating a wearability model and a friction map based at least in part on the testing of the block of the tire material.

[0083] According to another aspect, the model generator 1030 can determine an absolute value of local material wear based on the determined wear energy rate.

[0084] The model generator 1030 can further generate a first 3D model 1010 of a plurality of simplified 3D models based at least in part on a tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern.

[0085] In one aspect, generating a plurality of simplified 3D models at least partially based on the first 3D model 1010 of a tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern by the model generator 1030 includes defining a first sector of the first 3D model 1010 of the tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern, and creating a first simplified 3D model of the plurality of simplified 3D models of the tire at least partially based on periodically arranging the defined first sector circularly, and defining at least one further sector of the first 3D model 1010 of the tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern, where the further sector is shifted by a predetermined angle with respect to a previously defined sector, and creating at least one second simplified 3D model of the plurality of simplified 3D models of the tire at least partially based on periodically arranging the defined at least one further sector circularly. Each of the plurality of simplified 3D models can be considered as a snapshot of the rolling process of the tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern at different angular positions under the assumption that the shape of the tire is periodic.

[0086] According to another aspect, the predetermined angle ranges from 0.01° to 1°. The predetermined angle can be modified, for example, based on the level of detail of the non-axisymmetric tread pattern of the tire to be analyzed. A preferred range of the predetermined angle is from 0.15° to 0.35°.

[0087] The steady-state transport analysis device 1040 can perform a plurality of steady-state transport analyses at least partially based on each of the plurality of simplified 3D models.

[0088] According to one aspect, the steady-state transport analysis performed by the steady-state transport analysis device 1040 is based on the arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian (ALE) method.

[0089] The post-processor 1050 can post-process the results of each of the plurality of performed steady-state transport analyses.

[0090] In one aspect, post-processing the results of a plurality of steady-state transport analyses by the post-processor 1050 involves obtaining the results of each of the plurality of executed steady-state transport analyses, where each of the results of the plurality of executed steady-state transport analyses includes one or more simulated physical conditions that contribute to tire wear; merging the results of each of the plurality of executed steady-state transport analyses, where the results are merged separately for each of the one or more simulated physical conditions that contribute to tire wear; determining the contribution to tire wear based on the separately merged results for each of the one or more simulated physical conditions that contribute to tire wear; and determining the average wear rate of a tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern.

[0091] The wear evaluator 1060 can evaluate the wear of a tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern based on the post-processed results of a plurality of executed steady-state transport analyses and the wear model 1020.

[0092] According to one aspect, the wear evaluator 1060 can construct a history of relevant metrics for evaluating tire wear based at least in part on the post-processed results of each of the plurality of executed steady-state transport analyses.

[0093] According to another aspect, the relevant metrics for evaluating wear include at least one of slip, pressure, and friction.

[0094] In a further aspect, the model generator 1030 can receive a second 3D model 1015 of a tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern, and the second 3D model 1015 is different from the first 3D model 1010. The model generator 1030 can further generate a plurality of simplified 3D models based at least in part on the second 3D model 1015 of the tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern. The steady-state transport analyzer 1040 can perform a plurality of steady-state transport analyses based at least in part on each of the plurality of simplified 3D models. The post-processor 1050 can post-process the results of each of the plurality of steady-state transport analyses performed, and the wear evaluator 1060 can evaluate the wear of the tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern based on the post-processed results of the plurality of steady-state transport analyses performed by the steady-state transport analyzer 1040 and the wear model 1020.

[0095] According to one aspect, the second 3D model 1015 of the tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern is configured to be modified by adjusting one or more design parameters or based on a previously evaluated wear of the tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern.

[0096] According to another aspect, an apparatus for evaluating the wear of a tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern can identify one of the first 3D model 1010 or the second 3D model 1015 of the tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern based on one or more predetermined criteria regarding the evaluated wear. For example, the 3D models 1010, 1015 (including a specific tread pattern) of the tire having a non-axisymmetric pattern that exhibits the best performance with respect to a preselected specific criterion (e.g., life / mileage) can be identified.

Claims

1. A method (900) executed by a computer for evaluating the wear of a tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern, comprising: providing a wear model of the tire configured to convert a frictional energy rate into a wear energy rate; providing a first three-dimensional (3D) model (920) of the tire having the non-axisymmetric tread pattern; generating a plurality of simplified 3D models (930, 600) based at least in part on the first 3D model of the tire having the non-axisymmetric tread pattern; performing a plurality of steady-state transport analyses (940) based at least in part on each of the plurality of simplified 3D models; post-processing (950, 800) the results of each of the plurality of performed steady-state transport analyses; and evaluating the wear of the tire having the non-axisymmetric tread pattern based on the post-processed results of the plurality of performed steady-state transport analyses and the wear model (960). A method comprising the above steps.

2. A method executed by a computer for evaluating the wear of a tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern according to claim 1, further comprising constructing a history of relevant indicators for evaluating the wear of the tire based at least in part on the post-processed results of each of the plurality of performed steady-state transport analyses. A method further including the above step.

3. A method executed by a computer for evaluating the wear of a tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern according to claim 1 or 2, wherein generating a plurality of simplified 3D models (930, 600) based at least in part on the first 3D model of the tire having the non-axisymmetric tread pattern includes: defining a first sector (610) of the first 3D model of the tire having the non-axisymmetric tread pattern; creating a first simplified 3D model of the plurality of simplified 3D models of the tire based at least in part on periodically arranging the defined first sector in a circular shape (620); and defining at least one further sector (630) of the first 3D model of the tire having the non-axisymmetric tread pattern, the at least one further sector being shifted by a predetermined angle with respect to a pre-defined sector. ​ Creating at least one second simplified 3D model of the plurality of simplified 3D models of the tire (640) based at least in part on periodically and circularly arranging the at least one additional sector The method further comprising.

4. A method executed by a computer for evaluating wear of a tire having the non-axisymmetric tread pattern according to claim 3, wherein the predetermined angle ranges from 0.01° to 1° according to the level of detail of the non-axisymmetric tread pattern, and the preferred range is from 0.15° to 0.35°.

5. A method executed by a computer for evaluating wear of a tire having the non-axisymmetric tread pattern according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the wear model of the tire configured to convert the frictional energy rate into the wear energy rate Testing blocks of the material of the tire at at least one of different slip speeds, loads and slip distances with a linear friction tester (410); Generating a wearability model and a friction map based at least in part on the testing of the blocks of the material of the tire (420); The method being generated at least in part based on (400).

6. A method executed by a computer for evaluating wear of a tire having the non-axisymmetric tread pattern according to claim 5, wherein preparing the wear model of the tire configured to convert the frictional energy rate into the wear energy rate The method further comprising preparing an absolute value of local material wear based on the determined wear energy rate.

7. A method executed by a computer for evaluating wear of a tire having the non-axisymmetric tread pattern according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the steady-state transport analysis is based on the arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian (ALE) method.

8. A method executed by a computer for evaluating wear of a tire having the non-axisymmetric tread pattern according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the first 3D model of the tire having the non-axisymmetric tread pattern is a finite element (FE) model.

9. A method executed by a computer for evaluating the wear of a tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the relevant index for evaluating wear includes at least one of slip, pressure, and friction.

10. A method executed by a computer for evaluating the wear of a tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein post-processing the results of each of the plurality of steady-state transport analyses (950, 800) obtaining the results of each of the plurality of executed steady-state transport analyses (810), wherein the results of each of the plurality of executed steady-state transport analyses include one or more simulated physical conditions contributing to tire wear, obtaining (810); merging the results of each of the plurality of executed steady-state transport analyses (820), wherein the results are merged separately for each of the one or more simulated physical conditions contributing to tire wear, merging (820); determining the contribution to tire wear based on the separately merged results for each of the one or more simulated physical conditions contributing to tire wear (830); determining the average wear rate of the tire having the non-axisymmetric tread pattern (840); and including.

11. A method executed by a computer for evaluating the wear of a tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the first 3D model of the tire having the non-axisymmetric tread pattern is configured to be modified by adjusting one or more design parameters or based on the previously evaluated wear of the tire having the non-axisymmetric tread pattern.

12. A method executed by a computer for evaluating the wear of a tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein providing a second 3D model of the tire having the non-axisymmetric tread pattern, the second 3D model being different from the first 3D model, providing. Generating a plurality of simplified 3D models based at least in part on the second 3D model of the tire having the non-axisymmetric tread pattern; Performing a plurality of steady-state transport analyses based at least in part on each of the plurality of simplified 3D models; Post-processing the results of each of the plurality of steady-state transport analyses performed; Evaluating the wear of the tire having the non-axisymmetric tread pattern based on the post-processed results of the plurality of steady-state transport analyses performed and the wear model; A method further comprising.

13. A method executed by a computer for evaluating the wear of a tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern according to claim 12, wherein the second 3D model of the tire having the non-axisymmetric tread pattern is configured to be corrected by adjusting one or more design parameters or based on the previously evaluated wear of the tire having the non-axisymmetric tread pattern.

14. A method executed by a computer for evaluating the wear of a tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern according to claim 12 or 13, further comprising identifying one of the first 3D model or the second 3D model of the tire having the non-axisymmetric tread pattern based on one or more predetermined criteria regarding the evaluated wear.

15. An apparatus for evaluating the wear of a tire having a non-axisymmetric tread pattern, Means for providing a wear model of the tire configured to convert a frictional energy rate to a wear energy rate; Means for providing a first three-dimensional (3D) model of the tire having the non-axisymmetric tread pattern; Means for generating a plurality of simplified 3D models based at least in part on the first 3D model of the tire having the non-axisymmetric tread pattern; Means for performing a steady-state transport analysis based at least in part on each of the plurality of simplified 3D models; Means for post-processing the results of each of the plurality of steady-state transport analyses performed; Means for evaluating the wear of the tire having the non-axisymmetric tread pattern based on the post-processed results of the plurality of steady-state transport analyses performed and the wear model; An apparatus comprising.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising means configured to execute any of the methods according to any one of claims 2 to 14.

17. A computer program comprising instructions which, when the program is executed by a computer, cause the computer to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 14.

Images